(a) For the purposes of this section and section 14-286e, “bicycle” means any vehicle propelled by the person riding the same by foot or hand power.
(b) No child fifteen years of age or under shall operate a bicycle, electric bicycle, nonmotorized scooter, skateboard or electric foot scooter or wear roller skates or in-line skates on the traveled portion of any highway, at a skateboarding park or any park unless such child is wearing properly fitted and fastened protective headgear which conforms to the minimum specifications established by the American National Standards Institute, the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission, the American Society for Testing and Materials or the Snell Memorial Foundation's Standard for Protective Headgear for Use in Bicycling, as amended from time to time. Failure to comply with this section shall not be a violation or an offense. Failure to wear protective headgear as required by this subsection shall not be considered to be contributory negligence on the part of the parent or the child nor shall such failure be admissible in any civil action.
(c) A law enforcement officer may issue a verbal warning to the parent or guardian of a child that such child has failed to comply with the provisions of subsection (b) of this section.
(d) A person, firm or corporation engaged in the business of renting bicycles, electric bicycles or electric foot scooters shall provide protective headgear conforming to the minimum specifications established by the American National Standards Institute, the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission, the American Society for Testing and Materials or the Snell Memorial Foundation's Standard for Protective Headgear for Use in Bicycling, as amended from time to time, to any person under sixteen years of age who will operate the bicycle, electric bicycle or electric foot scooter if such person does not have protective headgear in his or her possession. A fee may be charged for the protective headgear rental. Violation of any of the provisions of this subsection shall be an infraction.
(e) The Commissioner of Consumer Protection shall post on the Department of Consumer Protection's Internet web site information concerning the dangers of riding bicycles, electric bicycles or electric foot scooters, skateboarding, roller skating and in-line skating without protective headgear and promoting the use of protective headgear while riding bicycles, electric bicycles or electric foot scooters, skateboarding, roller skating and in-line skating.
(P.A. 93-286, S. 2; 93-292, S. 1-4; P.A. 96-180, S. 43, 166; P.A. 97-46; P.A. 00-196, S. 12; June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-6, S. 146(c); P.A. 04-189, S. 1; P.A. 18-167, S. 12; P.A. 19-162, S. 13.)
History: P.A. 93-286 added provision to Subsec. (b) specifying that failure to wear headgear shall not be considered contributory negligence on part of parent or child nor shall failure be admissible in any civil action; P.A. 96-180 amended Subsec. (b) to add “Snell Memorial Foundation's Standard for Protective Headgear for Use in Bicycling” as alternative organization establishing specifications for protective headgear, effective June 3, 1996; P.A. 97-46 amended Subsec. (b) to require children 15 years of age and under to wear protective headgear and to delete “under twelve” re age of child; P.A. 00-196 added reference to Sec. 14-286e in Subsec. (a); June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-6 replaced Commissioner of Consumer Protection with Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Protection, effective July 1, 2004; P.A. 04-189 repealed Sec. 146 of June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-6, thereby reversing the merger of the Departments of Agriculture and Consumer Protection, effective June 1, 2004; P.A. 18-167 amended Subsec. (b) to add provisions re operating nonmotorized scooter or skateboard or wearing roller skates or in-line skates on highway, skateboarding park or any park and re properly fitted and fastened protective headgear and to replace reference to specifications established by Snell Memorial Foundation's Standard for Protective Headgear for Use in Bicycling with reference to specifications established by Snell Memorial Foundation, as amended from time to time, amended Subsec. (d) to replace “bicycle helmet” with “protective headgear” and make technical and conforming changes, and amended Subsec. (e) to replace provision re public awareness campaign with provision re information on department's web site re protective headgear; P.A. 19-162 amended Subsecs. (b), (d) and (e) to add provisions re electric bicycle and electric foot scooter, further amended Subsecs. (b) and (d) to add reference to U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and American Society for Testing and Materials, and made technical changes.