Bicycle Safety Training

Its never to early for bike safety

It can be dangerous to ride bicycles without proper safety training and knowledge. With more than 300,000 children going to the hospital each year because of bike accidents, it is never too early to teach your child bicycle safety.

Helmet Safety

Proper Helmet Use

The Consumer Product Safety Commission implemented helmet regulations "...to help protect the public from risks of injury or death associated with head injury associated with bicycle riding." Helmets made after 1999 and have not been damaged should be used. Wear a helmet that fits well and don't wear a hat under it. Helmet straps should be fastened so the helmet covers the forehead and cannot turn. Bright stickers on a helmet enhance visibility.

Appropriate Clothing

Loose clothing and straps should be avoided

Bicycle safety includes wearing bright colored clothing. Loose fitting pants should not be worn. Tennis shoes or sneakers are the safest. Tie backpack straps up. Headphones are dangerous to wear because they limit environmental sounds.

Designate Where it is Safe to Ride

Bike routes are the safest place to ride

Teach children how far to go and whether to ride on or off the sidewalk. Children under 10 should stay on the sidewalk and remain alert to the dangers of cars pulling in and out of driveways. Walk bicycles across busy intersections. The safest places to ride are in bicycle lanes.

Street Rules

Common traffic signs

Teach children basic bicycle safety rules. Ride one person to a bike, remain seated and use both hands. Children should be taught traffic signals. They should ride with traffic flow. Ride in single file lines and pass on the left after notifying the other rider. Never ride too close to parked cars. It is never safe to hitch onto a moving vehicle.

Common Road Hazards

Clean surfaces are the safest place to ride

Teach children common road hazards. Hills can be dangerous to go down too quickly. Teach children the difference between front and back braking. Pulling the front brake too hard, without using the back one, causes accidents. Changes in road surfaces, such as going from pavement to gravel, sand or grass too quickly can tip a bicycle over. Extra precaution should be taken in wet conditions.

Hand Signals

Proper hand signals should be used

To stop, the bicycle rider should remove her left arm from the handlebar and extends it from her body then points her hand toward the ground. To turn left, the bicycle rider removes her left arm from the handlebar and extends it. To turn right, the bicycle rider carefully removes her left arm from the handlebar and extends then points her hand toward the sky. Or, the rider can also use her right arm to signal a right turn by removing her right arm from the handlebar and extending it.

Bicyle Maintenance

Mantained bikes are safe bikes

To ensure bicycle safety, check the bicycle's chain, tires, and brakes. The chain should be tight and rust free. The tires should be checked for wear and the pressure should match the PSI on the tire. The brake pads should be checked and replaced if needed. There should be between one and three inches between the rider and the top bar. Both feet should touch the ground while seated on the bike and the handlebars should not be too high or too low.

References

• Kids Health from Nemours
• Consumer Product Safety Commision