UF employees are now required to wear a helmet while operating university-provided bicycles, scooters, mopeds, Segways and motorcycles.
The helmets must meet standards set by the U.S. Department of Transportation and should be securely fastened, the policy states.
While employee safety is always a concern, the policy is only aimed at employees using the vehicles for campus transportation, said William Properzio, director of UF's Environmental Health and Safety Division.
Administrative supervisors who ask employees to use particular vehicles in work-related activities are responsible for enforcing the policy, he said.
Though the policy only requires helmets for on-the-job situations, it states, "UF employees are strongly encouraged to wear their helmets whenever they ride."
"I always wear a helmet and wish everyone on two wheels wore a helmet," said Norman Lewis, an assistant professor in the College of Journalism and Communications who commutes to and from campus by bicycle.
Lewis said he was spared potential brain injuries after a scooter accident in 2007 because of his helmet. The accident seriously damaged his ribs, and his head bounced on the pavement, he said.
"Yes, helmets can look dorky," Lewis said. "But I value my mind too much to let it be unprotected."
