Are You Legally Required to Wear a Bicycle Helmet?
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Did you know that only about one out of five bicycle riders wear a helmet? That’s pretty worrisome considering how much a helmet can protect a bike rider.
Do you currently ride without a helmet? Do you have children who are learning to ride a bike? If so, then it’s important to learn about bicycle helmet laws. Otherwise, you could be unintentionally breaking the law!
Read on to learn more about helmet laws, why they’re important, and how to find a good helmet for yourself.
Why Helmets Are Important
You might be wondering — why would there be bicycle helmet laws?! If you ride on a regular basis without one, then you may not realize the importance of having one.
Helmets save lives.
If you get into a biking accident, then you aren’t protected like you are in a car. Instead, your body (and head) will likely slam right into the pavement or asphalt. Not only will that hurt, but it could cause severe, fatal injuries, too.
Helmets protect your head from sustaining a serious injury. A traumatic brain injury is often not an injury that you can come back from. Instead, it alters your entire life.
If you got into a crash, then you need to talk with a bicycle accident lawyer. It doesn’t matter if you were wearing a helmet or not. If a car or another person caused your accident, then you deserve to have your medical bills taken care of.
Important Laws: Federal, State, and Local
Considering that helmets save lives, there’s likely a federal law, right? Wrong! Right now, there are no federal laws about bicycle helmets.
That doesn’t mean you’re in the clear, though!
49 of the states do have some form of bicycle helmet laws. Most apply to children under 18, though. If you’re going riding, then you need to check your state and local laws.
How to Find Your Next Bike Helmet
Regardless of the law, it’s not a bad idea to wear a bike helmet when you ride. If you’re ready to get one, then be wary of picking up just any helmet.
Always try on the helmets and make sure you find one that fits. A helmet that doesn’t fit isn’t worth your money, time, or effort. Also, make sure your helmet fits your goals — recreational, mountain biking, or road riding.
Are Bicycle Helmets Necessary?
Before reading this, your bicycle helmet may not have been at the top of your mind. Now, you should understand the importance of helmets while riding. So, don’t forget to wear yours (or have your kids wear theirs) the next time you go for a bike ride!
In your local area, wearing a helmet may not be a legal necessity. Despite that, it’s still safer to have one a top your head.
Are you looking for more awesome articles to ensure you’re following the law? If so, then you’re in the best place to find out legal information. Keep browsing through our main blog page now to see more of our best articles.
