Beginning July 1, 1992, all children under the age of fourteen riding a bike, even as a passenger, must wear a properly fitted and fastened bicycle helmet. This includes persons who ride on a bicycle while in a restraining seat, which is attached to the bicycle or in a trailer towed by the bicycle.

This requirement applies at all times while a bicycle is being operated on any property open to the public or used by the public for pedestrian and vehicular purposes. The helmet must meet the standards of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI Z90.4 bicycle helmet standard) or the Snell Memorial Foundation's 1984 Standard for Protective Headgear for Use in Bicycling.

A child who violates this law will be warned of the violation by the enforcing official. The parent or legal guardian of that person also may be fined a maximum of $25 for the first offense and a maximum of $100 for a subsequent offense if it can be shown that the parent or guardian failed to exercise reasonable supervision or control over the child's conduct.

Children under 5 years of age must be in a car seat if they are riding in the front seat and must be secured by a safety belt if they are riding in the rear seat.Children under 18 months of age must be in a federally-approved car seat when riding anywhere in the car.

If the number of children under 5 years old exceeds the number of safety belts, children who are not restrained must ride in the back.

Failure to comply with the child passenger safety law is a $10 to $25 fine plus court costs.

Starting in December 2001, children who are under the age of eight and weigh less than 80 pounds will be required to be secured in a child passenger restraint system or booster seat in the rear seat of a motor vehicle. Booster seats are designed to improve safety by raising a child up so that adult lap and shoulder belts fit better. The new law also requires children over the age of eight or weighing more than 80 pounds and under the age of 18 to wear a seatbelt at all times while riding in a vehicle. Go to the