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Bicycle Safety Tips for Children
As the father of a three year old, I’m currently teaching my son to ride his first bicycle with training wheels. It is a fun and exciting process for both of us. I shot a quick video to share some important bicycle safety tips for children, which are also summarized below.
- Always make sure your kids have a bike helmet, and a helmet that fits properly. Kids grow fast, sometimes it seems way too fast, and they are likely to need a new helmet more often than we might guess.
- Avoid kids riding distracted. Don’t let kids use headphones, ear buds (even one ear bud), or use their phones while riding.
- Ride with your children. Teach them the rules of the road. Teach them safety. Set a great example. Avoid falling into the “do as I say and not as I do” dynamic. Kids are always watching and learning. Model safety practices.
- Use bike lanes when available. In some jurisdictions, young children can ride on sidewalks. If these aren’t available, teach kids to ride bicycles with the flow of traffic.
- Teach kids to always be watching for cars, not only when approaching intersections, but also when approaching driveways. It’s possible someone could be in a driveway and back up unexpectedly. This is an even bigger risk with increasingly widespread adoption of silent electric vehicles.
- Don’t let your kids ride at dusk and after dark. Most of the serious bicycle vs. car accidents happen between 6 and 9 p.m.
I hope these tips are helpful.
Stay safe out there.
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