My 17-Year-Old Won’t Wear A Bicycle Helmet Anymore Because The Law Doesn’t Require Him To. What Can I Say To Change His Mind?
Children and teenagers have a weird perception of bicycle helmets. Unfortunately, many of them think that bicycle helmets are for nerds and they don’t look cool in them. For this reason, many teenagers opt to not wear them as soon as they can get away with it.
Because we know the consequences of not wearing a bicycle helmet, it is important to talk with your son about why he doesn’t want to wear one. For example, he may have the following excuses:
- It’s not cool. If he uses this excuse, remind him that the outcome of a bicycle crash isn’t cool. For example, a bicycle accident can cause him to suffer serious injuries that may require him to be in a wheelchair, on crutches, or suffer a horrible head injury.
- It messes up my hair. If your son uses this excuse, advise him to bring a brush or his hair gel and style his hair once he gets to school or reaches his destination.
- I won’t get into an accident. If he uses this excuse, remind him that we all wear seat belts every time we get in the car to prevent from being injured in the event of a crash. We never know when an accident will occur. Sometimes, crashes are caused by other people and they are outside of our control.
It can be hard to reason with a teenager, especially when he may feel strongly about not wearing a bicycle helmet. Hopefully, having a discussion with him about bicycle helmet safety can help him see why he should wear a bicycle helmet.
If he was injured in a Florida bicycle accident due to another driver’s negligence, even if he wasn’t wearing a bicycle helmet, he may still have rights to a financial recovery. To learn more about your rights, contact the Law Offices of David Benenfeld at 954-677-0155 for a free consultation today.
