With a growing population of more than eight million residents in New York, the city is home to a sound and well-planned public transport system, including the bicycle path infrastructure. Under the Green Wave mission, the NYC Department of Transport added safe bicycle path lanes, hence, marking a surgent growth in the percentage of the population opting for bicycle rides in the city.
The team at the law office of Carl Maltese is here to present the right guidance and updated Bicycle Helmet Laws for the residents of the state of NY.
What Are Bicycle Helmet Laws in NY?
Bicycle Helmet Laws in NY have been introduced to ensure safety and protect a person’s child from any harm or injuries resulting from any bicycle accident. In New York, passengers up to the age of five and bike riders under the age of 14 must wear bike helmets.
Children lying from one to four should be securely fastened in a child safety seat. However, the bicycle helmet laws suggest that bike helmets are a necessity for anyone 13 and younger only.
Bicycle Helmet Laws in New York
Riding a bicycle is one of the popular choices for having a spree around the city owing to its numerous benefits other than just traveling, such as being environmentally friendly, cost-effective, maintaining fitness, or avoiding traffic.
However, there had reportedly been hundreds of cases concerning bicycle accidents, which ultimately resulted in the Government focusing on the Bicycle Helmet laws. It is suggested that wearing bicycle helmets reduces the risk of injuries during an accident by about 85 percent. Here is an easy guide to one and all Bicycle Helmet Laws that are cautiously followed:
New York Bicycle Helmet Law
The bicycle helmet is necessary for children 14 or younger in New York.
Children under one year cannot ride a bicycle at all.
Children between the ages of one to four need to be securely fastened before riding a bicycle.
Working cyclists or those adults who ride bicycles as part of their work category must also wear bicycle helmets.
Adult bike riders have no compulsion to wear a bicycle helmet while riding.
The New York Corporation has taken numerous steps to create awareness concerning wearing bicycle helmets and following the bicycle helmet laws. One of the most widely known - NYC DOT, hosts certain events during the year and distributes free bicycle helmets to the young to create awareness among the youngsters.
Bicycle Helmets and Injuries
Bicycle helmets are necessary because they play a keen role in protecting the rider against head or brain injury. Well, it does not guarantee complete protection against any injury, but it plays an important role in reducing the impact and severity of the injury.
Most helmets are not designed to cover or protect the cervical spine. Any injury to it can lead to traumatic injury or case of a pinched nerve. Bicycle helmets are effective to some extent in case of traumatic injury. However, no effective protection is seen in the case of motion-related head injuries.
Some symptoms of traumatic brain injury include dizziness, depression, mood swings, headaches, and many others. The first cause of death is the brain being rotated and the destruction of the axons.
Who Is Eligible for Receiving Compensation in Case of Any Injury?
Going against the Bicycle Helmet Laws in New York can lead people to serious consequences depending on the severity of the situation. Contact a Long Island bicycle accident lawyer from The Law Office of Carl Maltese for help. They can also help with other aspects of road safety rules such as car seat laws in NY and whether or not lane splitting is legal in NY.
The Right of Way Law plays an important role in the lawsuits of bicycle accidents. According to this law, motorists are committed to traffic violations whenever they cause injury to a cyclist in differing circumstances. If this results in severe injury or death, they will be considered guilty and potentially will be liable for a civil lawsuit - one of the most common laws in New York.
As a cyclist, people must sue the one responsible for their injury. In most cases, victims will take legal action against the guilty, the vehicle owner who caused the collision. However, people are liable to take action against the pedestrians if they are guilty. On the other hand, this is not limited to private individuals but also government agencies.
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