- Many states require bicycle helmet use when children ride.Girl Staing on Road Inside Park With Bicycle and Helmet image by Andrei Merkulov from Fotolia.com
Children with bicycles must know and follow all U.S., state and local bicycle laws when operating personal bicycles. Parents or guardians legally own most possessions of minors. Most U.S. laws hold parents responsible for allowing children to operate bicycles illegally. State and local transportation offices oversee all applicable laws for bicycle operation including signal usage, road usage and operation after dark. Many localities enforce curfews on minors, requiring them off public roadways after certain hours. - Most state and local laws require bicycles to operate by human power, such as the Ohio state bicycle law. Many states define a bicycle as having wheels 14 inches or larger. Bicycles with 12-inch wheels may not utilize any public access area except sidewalks. Most 12-inch bicycles may not legally leave sidewalks or private property. Typically children small enough to operate such a bicycle cannot safely navigate roadways and drivers may not see such small vehicles.
- State and local bicycle laws often require bicycles to follow all local vehicle ordinances, signs and traffic signals. Bicycle riders generally must remain as close to the right side of the road as possible and must travel with traffic. Many local ordinances prohibit bicycles, excluding sidewalk bicycles, from using pedestrian walkways. Cyclists must signal all turns appropriately. Most state laws require front lights and rear reflectors when operating a bicycle at night. Many laws permit cyclists to pass on the left of stopped traffic only.
- Twenty-one states and the District of Columbia require children to wear helmets when operating a bicycle, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Bicycle helmets utilize an air-injected foam shell covered with a plastic liner. Bicycle helmet foam compresses in the event of an accident involving the head and attempts to slow brain movement enough to prevent injury or death. Children and adults should always fasten bicycle helmet chinstraps securely to prevent helmet movement. Proper helmet fit allows for the opening of the mouth without pinching or pain. The helmet should fit the head snug enough to stay in place when looking quickly in either direction.
