Do I have to wear a helmet while cycling?
Posted on 10th October 2019
Do I have to wear a bicycle helmet when cycling? It’s a question that we’ve asked ourselves, too, before hopping on the bike for a quick ride on a Friday night (that one time, ages ago, before we realised that it was too hard and we prefer chocolate and wine on a Friday night!).
Well, before we give you the legal answer to your question, our team of personal injury solicitors in Preston are going to tell you about a recent case of a 15-year-old boy, Lewys Jones, who was seriously injured in a cycling accident and, guess what? He wasn’t wearing a helmet!
Lewys was out with his friends one evening, when he went over a ramp, and collided with another, falling face first to the floor.
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Lewys suffered from five fractures around his eye socket, and another to the top of his skull. Luckily, Lewys is recovering, but in some cases, people might not be so lucky. You can read the full article about Lewys, here.
So, now our team of personal injury solicitors in Preston have (hopefully) shocked you enough to make you wear a helmet regardless of what the law says, here’s the legal stance …
The Highway Code, which is like the guide on what to do on the roads, suggests that cyclists should wear a cycle helmet, which conforms to current regulations, is the correct size, and is securely fastened.
The more astute of you will have realised that the code says you should, not you have to wear. In our opinion, that’s no excuse. Would you rather look cool, or be safe, and prevent yourself from being injured? Well, we hope you are sensible and would go with option 2!
Whilst we’ve got you here, our team of personal injury solicitors in Preston have run up a list of useful things that are and are not legal when cycling:-
You must have front and rear lights, which meet the Highway Code regulations, which are clean, lit and work correctly, when cycling between sunset and sunrise.
You must have a red rear reflector and four amber pedal reflectors. Again, these only have to be visible between sunset and sunrise.
You must have two efficient, working brakes, which work independently on the front and back wheels.
Like with drivers, cyclists can be fined for not cycling safely, including for some of the following actions:-
Cycling carelessly (so without due care and attention) – the cyclists can be fined up to £2,500.00 if their driving is classed as dangerous.
Causing injury by cycling furiously – the cyclist can face up to two years in prison.
Cycling furiously without causing injury – the cyclist could face up to a £1,000.00 fine.
Crossing the stop line/ jumping a red light – the cyclist could face a fine of up to £50.00.
Giving someone (yes, including your wife, Boris Johnson!) a backie – you can be fined up to £200.00.
Whilst we can’t help you if you’re fined for doing something illegal on your bike (unfortunately, we don’t deal with criminal matters), our team of personal injury solicitors in Preston and Lancaster are on-hand to help you if you’re injured as a cyclist in an accident that wasn’t your fault.
Call our team today on 01772 783 314 or email injury@mglegal.co.uk.
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Tagged as: Accident Injury Solicitors, Lancaster Law, Personal Injury, Solicitors Preston, Your Local Solicitors
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