Children and adults on skateboards, scooters and rollerblades are at an increased risk for injury and death if they’re involved in collisions with motor vehicles.
Even with helmets, injuries arising from car accidents can be incredibly severe or even fatal.
Children and adults on skateboards, rollerblades and scooters are reminded that they have all of the same rights as pedestrians, but they must also obey the same traffic laws. Listed below are five important safety laws for children and adults who board, blade or rider scooters.
1. Obey all traffic signs, signals and speed limits.
2. Never enter the street suddenly or freestyle out of your driveway.
3. If there are no sidewalks, always use the extreme left-hand edge of the road and face oncoming traffic.
4. At intersections, always look both ways before crossing. Even though drivers are required to stop, they may not see you in time, so remain vigilant.
5. Unless there is a designated sidewalk or permission sign, never ride, board or blade across a bridge or highway crossing.
What About Helmets?
For children and young adults under the age of 18 years old, there is a helmet law in the State of California. Minors are required to wear helmets while skateboarding, riding a scooter or blading. Like pedestrians and cyclists, this is a vulnerable roadway user group. Helmets save lives and can help to prevent and mitigate potentially life-threatening and life-altering injuries. It’s important to remember that helmets alone can’t keep children safe. Drivers need to remain focused on the task of driving and be on the lookout for all roadway users.
Distracted driving has become a problem in California and a nationwide epidemic. If drivers aren’t paying attention to the road, they’re not going to see children on skateboards and rollerblades.
Alexander Law Group, LLP is always ready to answer questions and share the results of our research and experience with the public. Our goal is to make a difference for our clients and for all the powerless in need of care in a legal system that is skewed against them.
