Bike Safety Tips
The weather has warmed up and your kids are ready to ride their bikes. But have you adequately prepared them for bike riding? Here are some basic tips to teach your child about how to be safe while riding a bike.
1. Always wear a helmet. About 700 people die every year in the U.S. from bicycle crashes, and most of them die from head injuries. Many others receive head or brain injuries from not wearing helmets.
Choose a bright colored helmet for visibility safety. Be sure the helmet fits snugly, touching the head the whole way around.
Tighten the straps and have your child shake his head to see if it’s snug, then put your palm under the front edge and push up and back.
If you can move it more than an inch, you should tighten the straps, or find another that fits better.
2. Always stop before riding into the street. Teach your child that when he stops, look to the left then look to the right, then look to the left again. He should also listen carefully to be sure no cars are coming into the street.
3. If the sign says, STOP, then stop. Explain to your child that he must always stop at a stop sign or red light before going across. Remind him to look left, then right, then left again before crossing the street.
4. Don't swerve into a lane or change lanes unless you check behind you. The National Bicycle Safety Network explains how to teach this to your children. “The best place to practice this is in a quiet parking lot or playground. Stand behind them while they ride along a straight painted line. Hold up numbered cards and have them practice looking back over their shoulder and telling you the number on the card – without swerving off the painted line. Children should not be allowed to ride their bikes on the street alone until they have mastered this skill.”
5. Watch the bicycles in front of you. Your child needs to understand the importance of not just following another rider in front of him, but must remember the rules of stopping and looking before crossing a street.
6. If possible, allow your child to take a bike safety course. Some police stations have them and sometimes he YMCA does.
7. Find "bike paths" in your cities that are not accessible to motor vehicles. My boys loved going on these paths when biking because they didn't have to worry about traffic.
Happy Biking!
