Posted on: Wednesday, April 3, 2002

EDITORIAL
'Lifeguards' may solve skateboard safety worry

Public swimming pools have them, so why not post lifeguards at the city's skateparks? Granted, skateboarders are better off in a protected court tailored to their athletic feats than they are whizzing around streets and parking lots where they risk colliding with cars.

But there's plenty of danger lurking in a skatepark, and little or no supervision. Sure, there's a written list of rules, but what's the use of rules if there's no one to enforce them?

Kids frequently enter the skateparks without protective gear. Some ride bicycles and scooters into an already volatile mix of hot wheels. And yet the city is reluctant to provide supervision because it could increase their liability if, say, a supervisor is found negligent.

So instead they make do with a warning sign that says "Skate at your own risk. The City and County of Honolulu is not responsible for any loss, damage or injury to users or spectators."

"We believe the sign is sufficient to protect the city," says city corporation counsel David Arakawa.

We're no legal experts, so Arakawa may be correct that the sign is enough to bat down a liability lawsuit. But what about protecting the skateboarders?

The city of Honolulu might consider following the example of Los Angeles, which runs two skateparks and hires monitors to restrict entry and enforce safety regulations. Those who use the park must wear helmets, knee pads and other protective gear and have their parents sign a liability waiver. The monitors also make sure the facilities never get too crowded.

Now most injuries at skateparks occur as a result of a fall, and no matter how much attention the park designers adhere to safety guidelines, you can't avoid falls. That's why you want someone making sure park users have on the proper safety equipment.

It's true that posting "lifeguards" at skate parks represents yet another cost for the city at a time when budgets are tight and other needs are pressing. But as a community, we have apparently decided that these parks are a worthwhile recreational amenity, similar to public swimming pools.

We have built them. The kids are coming. We should make them as safe as we can.