Bill Text: FL H0797 | 2012 | Regular Session | Introduced


Bill Title: Bicycle Safety

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Failed) 2012-03-09 - Died in Transportation and Highway Safety Subcommittee, companion bill(s) passed, see CS/CS/HB 1223 (Ch. [H0797 Detail]

Download: Florida-2012-H0797-Introduced.html
HB 797

1
A bill to be entitled
2An act relating to bicycle safety; amending s.
3316.2065, F.S.; revising safety standard requirements
4for bicycle helmets that must be worn by certain
5riders and passengers; providing for enforcement of
6requirements for bicycle lighting equipment; providing
7penalties for violations; providing for dismissal of
8the charge following a first offense under certain
9circumstances; providing an effective date.
10
11Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
12
13     Section 1.  Paragraph (d) of subsection (3) and subsection
14(8) of section 316.2065, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
15     316.2065  Bicycle regulations.-
16     (3)
17     (d)  A bicycle rider or passenger who is under 16 years of
18age must wear a bicycle helmet that is properly fitted and is
19fastened securely upon the passenger's head by a strap, and that
20meets the federal safety standard for bicycle helmets, final
21rule, 16 C.F.R. part 1203. Helmets purchased before October 1,
222012, and meeting standards of the American National Standards
23Institute (ANSI Z 90.4 Bicycle Helmet Standards), the standards
24of the Snell Memorial Foundation (1984 Standard for Protective
25Headgear for Use in Bicycling), or any other nationally
26recognized standards for bicycle helmets adopted by the
27department may continue to be worn by riders or passengers until
28January 1, 2016. As used in this subsection, the term
29"passenger" includes a child who is riding in a trailer or
30semitrailer attached to a bicycle.
31     (8)  Every bicycle in use between sunset and sunrise shall
32be equipped with a lamp on the front exhibiting a white light
33visible from a distance of at least 500 feet to the front and a
34lamp and reflector on the rear each exhibiting a red light
35visible from a distance of 600 feet to the rear. A bicycle or
36its rider may be equipped with lights or reflectors in addition
37to those required by this section. A law enforcement officer may
38issue a bicycle safety brochure and a verbal warning to a
39bicycle rider who violates this subsection. A bicycle rider who
40violates this subsection may be issued a citation by a law
41enforcement officer and assessed a fine for a pedestrian
42violation, as provided in s. 318.18. The court shall dismiss the
43charge against a bicycle rider for a first violation of this
44subsection upon proof of purchase and installation of the proper
45lighting equipment.
46     Section 2.  This act shall take effect October 1, 2012.


CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
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