I know that cars must undergo safety inspections in order to be driven in Texas. Do bicycles have a similar requirement in order to avoid Texas bicycle accidents?

Many people tend to think of transportation regulations as being primarily for motorized vehicles. Emissions testing, safety inspections, and other requirements tend to come to mind first when picturing a vehicle as “road safe.”

Bicycle safety usually involves discussions on bicyclists as riders—what to wear, how to ride, and other road rules. What many people do not think about is safety laws regarding actual bicycles, and Texas does have requirements that regulate the vehicle aspect of bicycles which help prevent deadly Texas bike accidents.

In order for your bike to be considered operable in Texas, it must have a brake that is capable of making a dry skid. This means that if you take your bike out on clean, flat, and dry pavement and lock the brakes, the braked wheel must skid. If your brakes are not powerful enough to create a skid, you will need to have your brakes serviced or replaced before getting back in the saddle.

Nighttime riding has some other requirements that you are able to check and fix yourself in an afternoon. Your bike must be equipped with a white light that can be seen from at least 500 feet in front of your bicycle. On the back of your bicycle, you have two options: a red reflector that can be seen reflecting from 50 through 300 feet behind your bicycle, or a red light that can be seen from 500 feet behind you.

If your bicycle meets all the requirements of Texas state law and you were still injured by a negligent driver in a Houston bicycle accident, call Houston bicycle injury lawyer Steve Lee today at 800-232-3711 to schedule a free consultation.