Wearing a helmet while riding a motorcycle can dramatically reduce your risk of suffering a life-altering injury to your brain, skull, or face in the event of a crash. Not everyone who rides in Pennsylvania is legally required to wear a helmet. Understanding what the law requires of you can be key to protecting yourself physically and legally if someone else’s negligence leads to you getting in a wreck.
The Quakertown motorcycle helmet laws are straightforward, but they are something every rider should know about before getting on the road. Here are the basic rules and regulations you should keep in mind while riding, each of which an experienced motorcycle accident lawyer can go into more detail about as needed during a private initial meeting.
Who’s Required to Wear a Motorcycle Helmet?
Under Pennsylvania law, all motorcycle riders under 21 are required to wear a properly fitted and designed motorcycle helmet while riding in and around Quakertown, regardless of whether they’re operating the motorcycle themselves or are just a passenger. Riders over 21 are also required to wear helmets by the strict letter of the law, but they’re allowed to ride without a helmet if they’ve had their motorcycle operator’s license for at least two years or have completed a motorcycle safety course approved by the state Department of Transportation or the Motorcycle Safety Foundation.
Additionally, riders of all ages and experience levels must wear some kind of eye protection while riding, such as goggles, a face shield, or a visor attached to a safety helmet. Neither the helmet requirement nor the eye protection requirement applies to riders and passengers in three-wheeled motorcycles or autocycles with enclosed cabs.
Choosing the Right Type of Motorcycle Helmet
Not just any helmet will do if you want to stay in compliance with the motorcycle helmet requirements in Quakertown. To stay within the boundaries of Pennsylvania law, you need to wear a helmet that meets the safety standards for motorcycle helmets set by the United States Department of Transportation, which is indicated by a DOT sticker somewhere on the helmet.
Each helmet also must have the following information printed or otherwise permanently labeled on it somewhere:
- The name of its manufacturer
- Its specific model name or number
- Its size
- The month and year in which it was manufactured
Anyone with questions about whether the helmet law applies to them and whether a particular helmet meets the requirements can get the answers and information they need from a knowledgeable lawyer.
A Quakertown Attorney Can Explain How Motorcycle Helmet Laws Might Affect an Accident Claim
Complying with Quakertown motorcycle helmet laws isn’t just a matter of avoiding fines and keeping yourself physically safe from certain types of crash injuries—it’s also key to maximizing the compensation you can demand for injuries caused by another driver’s misconduct. Failing to wear a helmet can sometimes be held against you as comparative fault during a motorcycle accident claim, which could lead to you missing out on some or even all the money you’d otherwise have been entitled to recover.
No matter how your accident happened or what safety gear you were wearing at the time, recovering fairly for the harm someone else caused you on the road will be much easier with support from a respected legal professional. Call Ostroff Godshall Injury and Accident Lawyers today to learn more about your legal options.
