Kentucky Bicycle Safety for Children and Adults
Did your child receive a bicycle for Christmas? Did you give yourself a new bicycle this year as a gift? If so, you should review bicycle safety rules to reduce the risk of being injured in a Kentucky bicycle accident. Unfortunately, other drivers do not pay enough attention to bicyclists on our roads even though Kentucky bicycle laws and traffic laws give bicyclists the same rights and responsibilities as other drivers.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 743 pedalcyclists died during 2013 which was an increase from 734 deaths the year before. During 2013, 48,000 pedalcyclists were injured in bicycle crashes. In order to protect yourself and your child this year, review the following bicycle safety tips on a regular basis.
Bicycle Safety Tips
- Even though bicycle helmets are not required for bicycling in Kentucky, bicycle helmets save lives and reduce the risk of serious head injury in a bicycle accident. Be Safe and Keep your Children Save – always wear a bicycle helmet. It may not be a state law but you can make it a house rule.
- Know the Kentucky Bicycle Laws. Kentucky’s traffic statutes contain specific laws related to riding a bicycle in Kentucky. Learn these laws and teach them to your children to encourage bicycle safety.
- Limit riding at night or during inclement weather because reduced visibility could cause a bicycle accident. Never allow children to ride without an adult after dark. If you must ride a bicycle after dark, use headlights and taillights as well as reflective tape and flashers to increase your visibility to other drivers.
- Always wear brightly colored neon clothing to increase visibility even during the daytime.
- Never ride a bicycle while you are distracted and never use headphones or earbuds while riding a bicycle. Set a good example for your children by avoiding distracted driving in your car.
- Wear helmets and other safety equipment every time you ride a bicycle.
- Before riding your bicycle, check to ensure that the equipment is in good working order — tire are inflated properly, brakes are working, lights are working, chains are functioning property, etc.
- Use resources and information found at Safe Kids Worldwide, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, or Kentucky Transportation Cabinet’s Bike Walk webpage to educate your children about bicycle safety.
The key to avoiding a bicycling accident in Kentucky is education and practice. Spend time riding bicycles with your children so that you can education and show by example bicycle safety lessons that may avoid injury and/or save their lives.
Contact an Experienced Kentucky Bicycle Accident Attorney
We’ve Helped Thousands of KY Families, we can help you!
The personal injury lawyers of Musselwhite Meinhart & Staples, PSC hope that you and your child enjoy safe bicycling in Kentucky. However, if you or your child is injured in a bicycle accident caused by a negligent party, we want to help you. You and your child are entitled to compensation under Kentucky’s personal injury laws. Contact our office today to discuss how we can help you seek justice for yourself and/or your child from the at-fault party who caused your injuries.
Our law firm represents clients throughout central Kentucky. Contact us at our Radcliff and Elizabethtown Office in Hardin County at (270) 351-6032, our Louisville Office in Jefferson County at (502) 964-1968), or toll-free at 1-800-754-HELP to schedule a free bicycle accident case evaluation. You may also contact our office through our convenient online contact form.