Statewide, California teens under the age of 18 are required by law to wear helmets while riding bicycles. Unfortunately, many teens risk their lives by not wearing helmets and other safety equipment. When an accident occurs, the result is often quite severe, including Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and even death.
The National Bicycle Safety Network (NBSN) reports that the failure to wear a helmet is the direct cause of most head and brain injuries in bicycle accidents, particularly for teens age 13 to 17. According to the NBSN, well over half of those killed in bicycle accidents were not wearing helmets. In fact, wearing a helmet can reduce your risk for major injury and/or death by up to 88%.
Reduce Your Teen's Risk
Parents can help protect their teenagers by encouraging them to follow a few simple rules when riding bicycles:
- Always wear a helmet
- Always obey traffic signals and stop signs
- Always ride with traffic
- Always use hand signals
- Always wear reflective clothing or accessories, even during the day
It is also very useful for teens to brush up on bicycle safety techniques, especially when they head off to college or begin using bicycles as primary transportation. Sometimes, it's easy to think that you're invincible on a bike because you can fit into smaller spaces that other vehicles cannot. However, poor judgment and inattention can cause injuries that can easily be avoided with the proper precautions. If your teen has been hurt while riding a bicycle, contact a Modesto personal injury lawyer regarding your case to get all the facts as to your rights under the law.
