Bicycle Accident

Bikes and scooters share 24th Street, the Valencia corridor, and nearby hills with turning cars, Muni, and driveway cuts. Vehicle Code section 21212, in the version that took effect January 1, 2026, requires anyone under 18 who rides a bicycle, scooter, skateboard, or skates to wear a helmet that fits and fastens properly and that meets ASTM or CPSC standards. The section describes a first-charge dismissal path, a fine no higher than $25, and a 120-day path that involves a helmet and a safety course. It addresses riders under 18, not every adult cyclist.

Helmet use by a young rider can matter later in a civil case, but it is not, by itself, enough to end the claim, and it leaves California section 335.1 running. If the injured person is still a minor, section 352 can pause some civil clocks, except that a Government Claims Act notice is not paused by that section.

The longer walkthrough lives in the crosswalk and bicycle guide. Obtain the official crash paperwork, keep the bicycle, the scooter, and a helmet if one was worn among your papers, and confirm the courthouse for the county of the collision.