Understanding Florida’s Bicycle Helmet Laws

When it comes to the interaction between motorists on the road and the people who share their means of getting about, whether on a bicycle, it is critical that both parties maintain safety in order to avoid being involved in a collision. Thankfully, compiled together are some facts and not crazy myths to help explain why Florida has laws in place and the legal impact they can have on our customers. So, in case you didn’t already know, Florida has a law in place that requires all individuals under the age of 16 to wear a bicycle helmet for their own safety. Many adults still make the choice to wear a helmet because they know that even in the most well-worn helmets, they can save their lives. Though, until a person turns the age of 16, it is up to their parent to make the choice of whether or not they should wear one and be able to enjoy the safe ride of riding a bike.

So, continue reading to learn more about this law and how the consequences of not following it could impact a person involved in a collision.

First, it is important to know the requirements of the bicycle helmet laws in Florida so that you know as much as possible about how it can affect you as a parent or other adult making the decision for a minor. To quickly summarize for you, section 316.206(2) of the Florida Statutes states that a person under the age of 16 must wear a bicycle helmet at all times while riding.

Now, what does a violation of that law actually look like in terms of a consequence? Simply put, a violation of the law can result in a fine of no more than $15. The exception to this law is if any municipality or county ordinance is already in place that has a more stringent law about bicycle helmets, then that law will override this one. Often these substitute laws are in place for larger cities that have a significantly higher amount of traffic than other parts of the state.

Now, you might be wondering about how it can be possible for a violation of this obscure law to affect you. One of the simplest ways is if your child or someone else under the age of 16 is involved in a collision and it was discovered that they were not wearing a helmet, the cost of the fine for that violation could be deducted from the compensation awarded. This is also true for the cost of any resulting medical or other services that traumatic brain injury programs, which might be required by a jury to be paid for by the defendant in a personal injury lawsuit.

This is important to remember, especially since the most recent research on the effectiveness of bicycle helmets shows that they are less effective in preventing brain injuries during car versus bicycle collisions since the collisions are typically much harder and traumatic because at some point, the cyclist is likely to be ejected from the bicycle.

While the pain a collision can cause is already extremely high, considering just how much that pain gets amplified when a violation of the Florida statutes and other laws are compounded into when a cyclist is forced to face a collision, it is important to take time to understand the importance of maintaining safety and knowing how to maintain it.