BICYCLE RIDING SAFETY

Do you enjoy riding your bicycle on the streets?  Does your child enjoy riding his or her bicycle, skateboard or scooter on the streets?  If so, there are traffic laws that must be followed just like if you’re driving a car.

Bicycle riders—adults and children alike—must abide by the traffic laws that apply to motorists. Bicyclists must stop at stop signs and red lights, ride on the proper side of the street and give the right-of-way to all pedestrians.  Also, some California communities have local ordinances that prohibit bike riding on sidewalks in certain areas, such as business districts. And bicycle riders under the age of 18 must wear bicycle helmets and must, if riding at night, have a bike equipped with a front light, red rear reflector, pedal reflectors and side reflectors or reflectorized tires. Wearing a radio headset is prohibited while riding a bike at all times. It is against the law to ride on someone’s bicycle handlebars or center frame bar, or over the bike’s rear tire.

There are also laws that apply to those who use skateboards, skates and scooters. Cities and counties have laws regulating the places where your child may skate and the equipment that must be worn by skaters within these designated areas. Helmets, elbow pads and knee pads must, by state law, be worn at skateboard parks.

It is against the law to hold onto a moving vehicle while on a bike, skates or a skateboard. If your child violates any of these laws, he or she may be stopped by a police officer, cited and sent to juvenile traffic court, so talk to your children about following these laws. In addition, children under age 18 must wear a bicycle helmet while riding a scooter (motorized or non-motorized). And minors must be at least 16 years old and have a valid driver’s license or instruction permit to legally operate a motorized scooter, and may not operate such scooters on sidewalks or on highways that have speed limits greater than 25 mph.

I’m attorney Eric Rudolph at (760) 702-4046 and at EARattorney@gmail.com with Your Legal Buzz.

And please visit my website at www.RudolphLegal.com and my Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/RudolphLegal.