Assemblyman Paul Moriarty

MORIARTY VOWS TO FIGHT VESTED COMMERCIAL INTERESTS
ON FIRST-IN-NATION BILL MANDATING MANUFACTURE OF SAFER BIKES
Bill Would Ban the Sale of Bicycles with Conventional Quick-Release Wheel Assemblies

(TRENTON) -- Citing the cases of more than 100 children who have suffered serious injuries when riding bicycles with faulty quick-release wheel mechanisms, Assemblyman Paul Moriarty today vowed to fight to the bitter end to secure passage of groundbreaking legislation that would effectively require bicycle manufacturers to stop producing bikes with problem-prone quick-release wheel assemblies.

The first-of-its-kind legislation (A-2686) would make it an unlawful practice to sell a bicycle that is equipped with a conventional, mass-produced "quick-release wheel," a wheel which does not require the use of any tools to be removed from the bicycle. The landmark sales ban would apply to bicycles manufactured for either adults or children.

"If New Jersey were to enact this common-sense injury prevention measure, it would set a precedent that would turn the entire world-wide bicycle manufacturing industry on its ear," said Moriarty (D-Gloucester/Camden), a former award-winning television consumer-protection reporter. "New Jersey has a unique opportunity here to save lives and prevent injuries by taking a stand that would change bicycle manufacturing practices worldwide."

Moriarty is sponsoring his quick-release bicycle wheel with Assemblyman David Mayer (D-Gloucester/Camden) and Assemblywoman Joan Voss (D-Bergen).

The bill is scheduled for consideration by the Assembly Consumer Affairs Committee 10 a.m. Thursday, October 19, in State House Annex Committee Room 14, West State Street, Trenton.

Moriarty said he expects that bicycle manufacturers, wholesalers, and dealers will pull out the stops in attempts to stop the bill from becoming law. But Moriarty said he is prepared to do whatever it may take to prevent injuries of children and protect consumers.

"This is a case where safety needs to take precedent over profits," said Moriarty.

An earlier version of the bill that applied only to children’s bicycles was released from the Assembly committee in March. But Moriarty overhauled the measure to broaden its provisions to include adult bicycles and carve out exemptions for professional-grade racing bicycles and fool-proof quick-release bicycle wheel attachment systems that cannot cause injuries.

"The dangers that bicycles with conventional quick-release wheels pose to children and adults is too great to risk in light of the fact that safer alternatives exist," said Moriarty. "We’re not banning any and all quick release systems, only the old, accident kind that dominate the market. If this safeguard were to become law, there still would be quick-releases. But they would just be of a different design that is much less likely to be assembled incorrectly and, therefore, is less accident-prone."

Many parents could never imagine that a simple purchase of a bicycle could alter a family's life forever. Unfortunately, families all over the country have had to deal with their children suffering injuries, including permanent scarring, disfigurement, major bone and dental trauma, severe scraping and bruising, brain injury, and ruptured internal organs as a result of bicycles equipped with quick-release wheels.

Moriarty said he would present the Assembly panel tomorrow with pictures of children who were injured in mishaps with bicycles outfitted with quick-release wheel systems. Moriarty also said he would demonstrate for the committee how a safe wheel assembly works and how easy it would be for bicycle manufacturers to switch to safer wheel attachment designs.

Assemblyman Mayer noted that statistics show children riding bicycles with quick release wheels have been involved in over 100 accidents with many of the children facing severe injury. Almost all of the children were hurled over the handle bars of their bikes and landed on their faces, injuring and disfiguring themselves.

"Prohibiting the sale of bicycles with these specific wheels will help to put a halt to senseless injuries resulting from their use," said Mayer. "The risk posed by bicycles with these wheels is not worth the benefit of using them. There are safer ways to design these bicycles to minimize the risk of injury that I believe we need to encourage."

Multiple bicycle manufacturers have recalled their quick-release mechanisms due to failures of the mechanism itself. However, some companies have tried to explain away the accidents as rider error, parental negligence or the overall risk of bicycling. Many point to the design and construction of the bikes as the cause for injuring children.

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