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Do Louisville Cyclists Have to Wear Helmets?

In Kentucky, the only requires those under 12 to wear helmets when riding their bike. Kentucky law also allows Louisville—and other cities—to pass their own regulations for riding bikes in the city, and Louisville has passed several ordinances to regulate certain areas of bicycle operation.

Helmets are required by anyone under 18 in any metro park in Louisville. The law was passed to add safety for those riding on bike paths and streets in and around Louisville’s roughly 120 metro parks. This means that in Louisville, in all areas other than the metro parks, only those under 12 have to wear helmets, and when inside a metro park, the those under 18 have to ride with a helmet.

Do Helmets Make Cyclists Safer?

There are dozens of major studies on the effectiveness of bike helmets, and there are almost just as many different conclusions. However, the consensus is that helmets do save lives and reduce the risk of a significant head injury—but by how much?

Researchers and statisticians Jake Oliver and Prudence Creighton from the University of New South Wales analyzed over 40 studies on bike helmet effectiveness and concluded that bike helmets significantly reduce the risk of injury and fatalities.

The study found that when a cyclists uses a helmet, there is:

  • A 51 percent reduction for a head injury,
  • A 69 percent reduction for a serious head injury,
  • A 65 percent reduction for a fatal head injury, and
  • A 33 percent reduction for a face injury.

However, if you were injured while not wearing a helmet, you can usually still be compensated for your injuries if they were cased by someone’s negligence, even if you sustained a head injury while not wearing a helmet.

What to do if You’ve Received a Head Injury in a Bike Accident:

Head injuries can be devastating to the victim, and any head injury should be checked out by qualified medical professionals. If the injury was caused because of someone else’s negligence, then the victim should talk to a legal professional who is knowledgeable in head injuries, bicycle laws and personal injury laws.

A head injury can take years of cognitive rehabilitation which costs money. Also, a head injury can affect the victim’s ability to earn wages, and this could be financially devastating for the victim. By law, the person responsible is required to pay compensation for all injuries and financial losses that resulted from the accident.

If you or a loved one as been involved in any type of bicycle accident, speak to our Louisville bicycle accident lawyers today.