1,000 FREE Bike Helmets To Be Given Away This Sunday
GRAVESEND PARK — While it is perfectly legal to ride without a bike helmet if you are older than 13 in NYC, children are required to have helmets. In general, it’s a good idea to wear one, but it needs to be fitted properly, so you will have to turn up in person and be fitted to claim your helmet.
Councilman Greenfield is giving away 1,000 free bike helmets this Sunday:
When: Sunday, September 17th, from 2:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Where: 18th Avenue/Gravesend Park, located between 55th and 58th Street.
“The event is open to everyone, children and adults alike, though children will need a parent or legal guardian to sign a form in order to participate”, he emails.
“Just because summer is ending doesn’t mean you have to give up biking,” Greenfield said. “I’m a jogger myself, but even I know that biking with proper safety gear is a fun and healthy activity, all year round.”
Having written about three bicyclists either seriously injured or killed in Brooklyn in the last month or so, from Borough Park this weekend, to Kensington late August, to East Flatbush just this morning, we hope everyone stays safe out there. 66th Precinct and 88th precinct were also the most dangerous places in the city to bike two years ago.
More tips from DOT:
NYC Biking Laws
Cyclists have all the rights and are subject to all of the duties and regulations applicable to drivers of motor vehicles.Download a complete list of New York City bicycle rules
- Ride in the street, not on the sidewalks (unless rider is age 12 or younger and the bicycle’s wheels are less than 26 inches in diameter).
- Ride with traffic, not against it.
- Stop at red lights and stop signs. Obey all traffic signals, signs and pavement markings, and exercise due care to avoid colliding with pedestrians, motor vehicles or other cyclists.
- Use marked bike lanes or paths when available, except when making turns or when it is unsafe to do so. If the road is too narrow for a bicycle and a car to travel safely side by side, you have the right to ride in the middle of the travel lane. Bicycling is permitted on all main and local streets throughout the City, even when no designated route exists.
- Use a white headlight and a red taillight, as well as a bell or horn and reflectors.
Safety Tips
- Ride in a straight line, obey traffic signs and signals, and do not weave in and out of traffic. Riding predictably reduces your chances of a crash with a motor vehicle.
- Look, signal and look again before changing lanes or making a turn. Establish eye contact with drivers. Seeing a driver is often not enough. Make sure drivers see you before executing a turn or riding in front of a turning car.
- Watch out for car doors. Be prepared for the possibility that a car door may be opened in your path. When possible, leave room between yourself and parked cars (3 feet is generally recommended) so that you can avoid a door that opens unexpectedly.
- Stay visible. Wear brightly colored clothing for daytime riding. At night, use reflective materials and lights.
- Use your bell. Your bell alerts drivers, pedestrians and other cyclists to your presence, it is required by law.
- Don’t wear earphones. By law you may wear one earbud, but keeping your ears clear is a much safer choice.
- Wear a helmet. Helmets are required by law for children age 13 or younger and working cyclists, helmets are a good idea for cyclists of all ages.
For Children on Bicycles
- Children under age one cannot be carried on a bicycle.
- Children must be carried in a properly affixed child carrier.
- Cyclists under age 13 must wear an approved helmet.
For Commercial Cyclists
Bikes are an inexpensive, fast, and efficient way to deliver goods. In addition to the biking laws, the city has laws and rules that to help make commercial bicycling safer.Get more tips for commercial cyclists and businesses