Right of Way sent us this video filmed during Critical Mass, a peaceful bike ride that takes place on the last Friday of every month. The last one was on the 25th.
During the ride, cyclists were repeatedly stopped by police, who no joke, pulled over and ticketed a 5-year-old who wasn’t wearing a helmet.
Activists from Right of Way had speed guns on hand and noticed, while cyclists were being ticketed, that several cars drove by well over the speed limit, while the police did nothing. One even ran a red light. Clearly, and we know this, there is some serious bias going on. Watch this video below.
By law, all bicyclists under the age of 14 are required to wear approved bicycle helmets when bicycling or riding as passengers on bicycles in New York State. The maximum penalty for an offense is a $50 fine. However, if a parent can prove that a helmet has been obtained, the fine will be waived.
Vehicular speeding and running red lights are also illegal — much more so, if moving violation fines are any indication, than a minor without a helmet.
Breaking the law is breaking the law. I say that as a twentysomething cyclist who’s never without a helmet.
It goes both ways. The law is the law and both are wrong. Now one got caught and one didn’t is just life.
The difference is that the NYPD specifically assigns expensive personnel and resources to actively follow the (completely legal) Critical Mass ride around and look for an opportunities to ticket them for any infraction. It’s like they assigned officers specifically to ride your bumper and make sure you don’t break the letter of any traffic law.