June 22, 2009 @ 11:00 pm
Horse Riding Helmet Law in Florida
A new law has been introduced in Florida making the wearing of helmets compulsory for junior riders under the age of 16. The new law has also been named ‘Nicole’s law‘ after a 12 year old girl who was killed in a riding accident in 2006.
The last time I rode without a riding hat was in my teens, which was more than 25 years ago in the UK. I can’t remember what prompted me to go from riding with a hat most of the time to all of the time. I thought that the use of riding hats was compulsory in the UK but from some initial research on the internet, my current understanding is that it is compulsory for riders under 14 years of age on the road in the UK. I’ll investigate this further.
I don’t know the US federal or state laws regarding the wearing of a riding hat. If anyone knows more about this, I’d be very interested in this information.
Not only is the wearing of a hat important but the type of hat and its fitting is also important. With safety levels and design improving all the time, I would recommend buying a design of the current highest standard and getting this properly fitted. The fitting should be checked on a regular basis as this will change with wear.
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