Our law firm, Brooks Law Group, is soon going to be giving away bicycle helmets to promote safety for children. Helmet safety is an important factor in preventing or minimizing injuries from bicycle falls. Details will be forthcoming.
Why Wearing a Bicycle Helmet is Important
According to TV Station WTSP (WTSP is a CBS-affiliated television station in St. Petersburg, Florida – part of the Tampa/St. Petersburg television market):
- In 1997, 813 bicyclists were killed in crashes, Of these, 97 percent were not wearing helmets.
- Medical research shows that 85 percent of bicyclists’ head injuries can be prevented by a bicycle helmet.
- Of the 50 percent of bikers who regularly wear a bike helmet, 43 percent said they always wear a helmet and 7 percent said they wear a helmet more than half of the time.
- Universal use of helmets could prevent one death every day and one brain injury every four minutes.
- Half of all bike riders, do not wear a helmet regularly, which is the single most effective protection against brain injury.
According to a study by the Cochrane Injuries Group, in the USA, two-thirds of cyclists admitted to hospital have a head injury.
According to the Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute, forward speed is not the most important crash force, it’s the fall to the pavement. Even a low-speed fall on a bicycle path can scramble your brains.
The severest concern in a bicycle fall injury is suffering a brain injury. Brain trauma can cause serious and permanent damage and can cost millions of dollars in rehabilitation and long term care.
Current Law
Florida law requires that children under 16 years of age wear a proper and safe bicycle helmet while operating a bicycle on the roads and on bike trails. The law requires that the helmet:
- Be properly fitted on the passenger’s head by a strap
- Meet federal safety stands for bicycle helmets
A passenger is anyone operating the bike, or riding with the operator on the bike including a child who is riding in a trailer attached to the bike.
Law enforcement officers and school crossing guards may issue a bicycle safety brochure and a verbal warning to a bicycle rider or passenger who rides without a helmet.
Bicycle Helmet Safety Tips
Some of the common safety tips bicycle safety organizations recommend are:
- Place the helmet directly over the forehead.
- A good fit means level on your head, with the foam pads touching all around.
- The helmet should not move more than about an inch in any direction, and must not pull off no matter how hard you try.
- Follow the manufacturer’s instruction.
- Fasten the buckle.
- Tighten the chin strap.
- Take care of the helmet when you’re not riding. Remember where you kept the helmet. Store it in a cool, dry place. Excessive heat can cause damage.
- Involve your children in the process of buying a helmet – design, style and color – so they’ll want to wear the helmet.
- Replace the helmet when it has been damaged or if it’s very old.
- Adults should set a proper example by wearing helmets too.
- Be sure to learn and follow all the other safety tips for riding bicycles such as requirements for riding at night, knowing and obeying traffic laws, etc. There are numerous biking organization in the Tampa Bay area that have guides and instructional courses. The best way to avoid the injuries from a bike accident is to avoid the accident.
How our law firm can help?
If anyone you know is has suffered because of an accident involving a bicycle let our law firm help you get the recovery you deserve. During this difficult time we will help you receive the maximum compensation allowed by law and we will assist you through every step of the case. Our team of lawyers works with medical professionals, valuation experts, technical experts and other lawyers. If you or a loved one suffered an injury or a death please call us at 1-888-WE-MEAN-IT (1-888-936-3264) or email us at: [email protected].
