How US helmet laws are used against cyclists of colour and homeless people

In Seattle, 43% of citations since 2017 have gone towards homeless people, while Black cyclists received citations at nearly four times the rate of white cyclists

On the streets of Seattle, 130 vendors sell non-profit Real Change's weekly newspaper for $2 apiece. They're no strangers to police attention: King county has a law requiring all cyclists to wear a helmet, but not all do. Some vendors on bicycles have received citations; others are just stopped by police.

But on 19 March 2019, a vendor was riding a bright green rental bike when a driver struck him in a hit-and-run. Witnesses said the driver was at fault. As the vendor lay on the street, receiving medical treatment before going to the hospital, police officers mocked him. Ultimately, the man - who was homeless and of self-described mixed-race" - received a citation for not wearing a helmet. The driver received no citations at the scene.