Does 13 year old biking to school need a safety vest?

[Anonymous]

It's about 2 miles, moderately busy streets - nothing horrible.

[Anonymous]

My kid would never wear a safety vest. I never see kids wearing them, and very few adults.

[Anonymous]

Has nothing to do with age and everything to do with visibility. If not all the way light yet, then yes.

[Anonymous]

they are very common and is it really up to your kid when it comes to safety? Ours wear them, they were handed out at school or kids to wear especially early in the morning. I use it to run before they go off to school.

I wonder if the Pp is worried people will say hey joe, you look really stupid wearing that vest that makes you more visible and helps prevent you getting hit.

[Anonymous]

I would MAKE my kid wear his in that scenario.
Not that he would put up much of a fuss- he knows biking is dangerous in this area.

[Anonymous]

if you take a bike safety class they will tell you these are as important as helmets, which was something new to me.

[Anonymous]

No, the 13-year-old would not NEED a safety vest. But it can't hurt -- except that I am worried that non-biking people will start to think that all bikers should wear safety vests, and if you didn't wear one and you got hit by a car, that means that you were negligent.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No, the 13-year-old would not NEED a safety vest. But it can't hurt -- except that I am worried that non-biking people will start to think that all bikers should wear safety vests, and if you didn't wear one and you got hit by a car, that means that you were negligent.

Every sentence here is SO wrong.
I hope your child will never be severely injured or die in a biking incident.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:it can't hurt -- except that I am worried that non-biking people will start to think that all bikers should wear safety vests

All bikers should wear safety vests!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No, the 13-year-old would not NEED a safety vest. But it can't hurt -- except that I am worried that non-biking people will start to think that all bikers should wear safety vests, and if you didn't wear one and you got hit by a car, that means that you were negligent.

Every sentence here is SO wrong.
I hope your child will never be severely injured or die in a biking incident.

Why do you say that? Do you think it's negligent if a bicyclist does not wear a safety vest? Should one have to wear special clothes in order to bike somewhere? Do you think it's negligent if a pedestrian does not wear a safety vest?

But yes, I also hope that my child will never be severely injured or die in a biking incident, or indeed any transportation incident, and I hope that same for your child, and for everybody's child.

[Anonymous]

OP - I would be sure your son wore a safety vest and bike helmet. I would also suggest a blinking light of some sort on the vest that could be activated if his ride is in the early morning on near sundown in the afternoon. I would also hope his bike would have appropriate lights or whatever to let folks know a bike is there. Bikes are not the same as cars and you have to do all you can to make people see him.

You can't underestimate how distracted drivers are nowadays and/or rushing either to drop kids off at the middle school and get to work etc. so anything that can be done to make drivers aware of your son on the bike is key.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No, the 13-year-old would not NEED a safety vest. But it can't hurt -- except that I am worried that non-biking people will start to think that all bikers should wear safety vests, and if you didn't wear one and you got hit by a car, that means that you were negligent.

Every sentence here is SO wrong.
I hope your child will never be severely injured or die in a biking incident.

Why do you say that? Do you think it's negligent if a bicyclist does not wear a safety vest? Should one have to wear special clothes in order to bike somewhere? Do you think it's negligent if a pedestrian does not wear a safety vest?

But yes, I also hope that my child will never be severely injured or die in a biking incident, or indeed any transportation incident, and I hope that same for your child, and for everybody's child.

Are you serious?

1. Always wear a helmet.
*2. Wear high visibility clothing. Wear safety vest.
*3. Your bike must have a white front and red back light. Those must be turned on.
*4. Your bike must have reflectors on the front and back wheel.

* is for when visibility is not blue skies, 100% daylight like early in the morning, in the evening, when it's rainy, foggy etc.

Anything else IS negligence.

There is a reason these rules exist for cars - and as long as you participate in traffic on the street the same rules should apply. Not sure how far along the law in the US is (don't think far along at all) but yeah...it saves lives. And there is zero reason not to do these things except stupidity. And no that cannot be put in any nicer words.

[Anonymous]

Yesterday I watched a smug Takoma Park mom load three kids into a rear cart on her bike after dark, put on her own reflective vest and turn the light on her bike, and bike away. When she was six feet away, I couldn't see the kids at all, because the trailer was completely dark.

Good job.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Are you serious?

1. Always wear a helmet.
*2. Wear high visibility clothing. Wear safety vest.
*3. Your bike must have a white front and red back light. Those must be turned on.
*4. Your bike must have reflectors on the front and back wheel.

* is for when visibility is not blue skies, 100% daylight like early in the morning, in the evening, when it's rainy, foggy etc.

Anything else IS negligence.
There is a reason these rules exist for cars - and as long as you participate in traffic on the street the same rules should apply. Not sure how far along the law in the US is (don't think far along at all) but yeah...it saves lives. And there is zero reason not to do these things except stupidity. And no that cannot be put in any nicer words.

The law in Maryland, DC, and Virginia is contributory negligence. (In other places, it's comparative negligence.) What contributory negligence says is: if you were at fault at all, even only a tiny little bit, you can be denied all compensation.

So when you say that it's negligent to not wear a safety vest, or it's negligent to not have lights on your bike that are turned on, this is what you're saying: if a speeding driver on a cell phone hits a person who is riding a bike without a safety vest, and the person ends up in the hospital with severe injuries, the driver is not liable for the bicyclist's injuries, because the bicyclist was also negligent.

Is that something you approve of?

[Anonymous]

Responsible bikers typically wear reflective clothing, plus helmets, plus lights/reflectors on the bike. When I ride to work, I feel lit up like a Christmas tree. It's never too soon to teach your son about biking responsibly.