Bikes / Helmets

[DisnIse]

Three weeks til our first trip to Fort Wilderness. We are planning to bring our bikes and I saw on the Disney site that you have to have a helmet if you are under 16. Is that for everyone or only if you rent from Disney? Is that rule strictly enforced? I understand the importance but I'm not sure I can convince the 14 year old boys to cooperate!

[Capt_redshirt]

I believe its everyone.... if im not mistaken there is a bike helmet law on the books in florida (15 is the age i believe) and disney decided to take it one age further.... now if they enforce it or not im not sure.

[BrerGnat]

I mean no disrespect, but 14 year olds (or 16 year olds, for that matter) are not immune to falling off a bike and hitting their heads.

Disney had an incident a few years ago where a child was struck by a bus while riding a bike at Ft. Wilderness. The boy did not survive.

I'm sure Disney has gotten pretty strict about enforcing this rule as a result of that. Disney was sued after that accident.

[DisnIse]

Believe me, I completely understand the importance of the helmet laws, and I remember the case of that poor little boy and his family a few years ago. I just wasn't sure about the Rule vs. rule. If the boys know that they could get "pulled over," they're far more likely to comply.
Thanks for the info - now we know what we need to pack!

[BrerGnat]

Believe me, I completely understand the importance of the helmet laws, and I remember the case of that poor little boy and his family a few years ago. I just wasn't sure about the Rule vs. rule. If the boys know that they could get "pulled over," they're far more likely to comply.
Thanks for the info - now we know what we need to pack!

Tell them it's enforced, and there is a steep financial penalty if they are caught without helmets on. Whether or not that's true is irrelevant. Make them believe it is true.

[Scar]

I can't speak on what the law or rules are, but I can say this...

When I first got into serious biking, I didn't want to wear a helmet. I soon found out that any other serious biker will refuse to ride with anyone that doesn't wear one. Now I always wear one.

My local bike shop keeps a collection of busted helmets that saved peoples lives.

[CU Tiger]

Having gone several time, they do enforce the helmet law. My DD tried to get away without wearing one and she was stopped and ask to go put one on. Whe was obviously below 16.

[greengeen]

From FLORIDA STATUTES TITLE XXIII. MOTOR VEHICLES CHAPTER 316. STATE UNIFORM TRAFFIC CONTROL

A bicycle rider or passenger who is under 16 years of age must wear a bicycle helmet that is properly fitted and is fastened securely upon the passenger's head by a strap, and that meets the standards of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI Z 90.4 Bicycle Helmet Standards), the standards of the Snell Memorial Foundation (1984 Standard for Protective Headgear for Use in Bicycling), or any other nationally recognized standards for bicycle helmets adopted by the department. As used in this subsection, the term "passenger" includes a child who is riding in a trailer or semitrailer attached to a bicycle.