Responsibilities of Parents / Guardians for the Safety
of Their Children
When Riding Bicycles to and from School
On June 7, 2000, Governor Bush signed into law the Senate's School
Safety Bill, CS/CS/CS SB852. The bill requires that school districts
provide transportation safety plans that include recommendations
for the identification of responsibilities of parents or guardians
for the safety of their children when transportation is not required
and is not provided by the school district or charter school.
In Florida, the bicycle is legally defined as a vehicle. Bicyclists
have the same rights to the roadway, and must obey, the same traffic
laws as the operators of other vehicles. These laws include stopping
for stop signs and red lights, riding with the flow of traffic,
using lights at night, and yielding the right-of-way when entering
a roadway.
Bicycles are associated with more childhood injuries than any
other consumer product except the automobile. More than 27.7 million
children, ages 5 to 14 ride bicycles (70%). Head injury is the
leading cause of death in bicycle accidents, accounting for more
than 60% of bicycle deaths.
Florida law requires all bicycle riders and passengers under 16
years of age to wear a bicycle helmet.
Parents and guardians overestimate their children’s
bicycle safety skills. Children are naturally impulsive and have
difficulty judging speed, spatial relations, distance and velocity.
Auditory and visual acuity, depth perception and proper scanning
ability develop gradually and do not fully mature until at least
age 10. Children under age 10 should not ride a bicycle unsupervised
by an adult.
The following guidelines have been written to advise parents/guardians
of the laws of the state of Florida, to assist them in locating
bicycle safety educational materials for themselves and their students,
and to identify the responsibilities that parents and guardians
must address if their children are to become safe bike riders.
Florida law requires all bicycle riders and passengers
under 16 years of age to wear a bicycle helmet that is properly
fitted, is fastened securely upon the head by a strap, and that
meets the nationally recognized standards for bicycle helmets adopted
by the Department of Transportation. Section 316.2065 Florida
Statutes
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Parents/Guardians must not knowingly allow
a child or minor ward to violate any provision of this section.
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Bicyclists must obey all traffic controls
and signals.
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Bicyclists must use a fixed, regular seat
for riding.
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A bicycle may not be used to carry more persons
at one time than the number for which it is designed or equipped.
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Bicyclists and passengers under the age of
16 MUST wear a helmet.
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At least one hand must be kept on the handlebars
while riding.
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A bicyclist must not wear a headset,
headphone or any listening device
other than a hearing
aid while
riding.
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Every bicycle must be equipped with
a brake or brakes which allow
the rider
to stop within
25
feet from
a speed of 10 miles per hour
on dry, level, clean pavement.
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When riding on sidewalks or in
crosswalks, a bicyclist has
the same rights and
duties as a
pedestrian.
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A bicyclist riding on sidewalks
or in crosswalks must
yield the right-of-way
to pedestrians
and must give an
audible signal before
passing.
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A bicycle operated between
sunset and sunrise
must be equipped
with a lamp
on the front
exhibiting a
white
light visible from
500 feet to the front
and both a red reflector
and
a lamp on
the rear
exhibiting
a red light
visible
from
600 feet to the rear.
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Riding in single
file is required
except on
bike paths
or parts
of roadways set
aside for the
exclusive use
of bicycles.
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Bicyclists are
not allowed
to ride on
the shoulder
or roadway
of freeways
or
interstate
highways.
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Civil penalties
may be
issued for violations
of bicycle
laws
as well as for moving
and non-moving
violations
if applicable.
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A bicyclist
may
not allow
a
passenger to remain
in
a child
seat
or
carrier
when
not
in immediate
control
of
the
bicycle.
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A
bicyclist who
is not
traveling at
the same
speed of
other traffic
must ride
as close
as practicable
to the
right hand
curb or
edge of
the roadway.
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A
bicyclist operating
on a
one-way street
with two
or more
traffic lanes
may ride
as close
to the
left hand
edge of
the roadway
as practicable.
