Bicycle Safety

Helmet safety is an integral part of the Bike Smart, Virginia! program. Helmets, when worn properly reduce the risk of serious head and brain injury by 85% and 88% respectively. Bike Smart, Virginia! aims to assist communities in raising the awareness of how helmets save lives, increasing the proper usage of helmets among people of all ages and making safety devices such as bicycle helmets readily available to those most at risk.

Holiday Helmet Safety
The holiday season is a popular time for children to receive bicycles as gifts. This is also a prime opportunity to instill good safety habits in the young cyclists from the start.

During the 2003 holiday season, CIVP partnered with the Salvation Army's Angel Tree Program and Richmond's Sgt. Santa to help ensure that each child receiving a bicycle would also get a helmet. Each organization promoted bike safety, disseminated age appropriate safety activity packets and encouraged donations of appropriate safety gear. CIVP supplemented the efforts of these organizations by donating over 1,780 bicycle helmets.

Community Safety Projects
During 2004 CIVP funded 38 helmet and public awareness projects across the state. Each project involved the purchase and dissemination of bicycle helmets to the community via presentations, bike rodeos and school programs.

Helmet Legislation in Virginia
Virginia does not have a state bicycle helmet law. However, Virginia does allow localities to pass local ordinances requiring the use of bicycle helmets by children fourteen and younger. Several jurisdictions throughout Virginia have passed such ordinances.

Bicycle Laws
A bicycle is considered to be a vehicle and therefore must follow the same traffic laws as vehicles do. In addition, there are some laws that pertain specifically to bicycles.

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