I am shocked simply shocked the accident involved a cycle that blew through a stop sign.

Elsewhere in this epoch's cycle wars, there is no mention that the victims were wearing helmets in this extended account of a Brooklyn (not the former village in SE Portland) hit-and-run:
http://www.villagevoice.com/2011-08-17/news/michelle-matson-greenpoint-brooklyn-bicycle-accident?utm_source=Newsletters&utm_medium=email

NYC, like Stumptown, doesn't do much for the people it entices to cycle its streets:
"The most serious offense listed on the paperwork is a misdemeanor, even though earlier this summer a Bronx woman was convicted of a hit-and-run felony for barreling over one of Mayor Bloomberg's aides and leaving her in a vegetative state. (Last week, the Brooklyn judge told the court the maximum penalty allowed by law was 'inadequate.')"

My kids have the same rule. No helmet, no riding.

If they violate that, the bike/skateboard/scooter stays in the garage for a few days

If I see them with the helmet off, same result

It's really quite easy to do

But, at least 1/2 the kids I see lack a helmet (which happens to be against the law)

I was visiting Portland back in 2005. We decided to take our kids (8 and 10 years old) to Salmon Street Springs fountain. I remember seeing this teenage kid ride his bike through the fountain and then he just blasted through that intersection. By the absolute grace of God that bike didn't get hit. All the helmets in the world wouldn't have saved that kid if he would have gotten hit.

Could we apply this to the hipsters without helmets - "five days chained up at the Max station, and an extra five days if you were tweeting while biking."

Do you want the kids to wear helmets, or do you want them to stop at stop signs? Make up your minds.

Old fashioned parenting wins the day.

It's your age-old job to threaten "precious" with some stuff parents.

If your not comfortable threatening physical violence then threaten to destroy their sh*t. (No sarcasm)