A Guideline On Child Safety While Riding A Bicycle

Most parents spend time protecting their children and teaching them lessons regarding safety. We childproof our homes when the kids are young, we teach them how to safely cross the street and we place them in car seats when traveling. However, as they become ready to ride a bicycle many parents don't put the same effort into protecting their kids on the bikes. Here are a few tips on keeping your kids safe while riding their bikes!

The first part of riding in a safe manner is wearing a helmet! We've all heard how helmets can save lives and it's absolutely true. Statistics show that 80% of children who die in a bike accident each year were caused by head injuries. There were also a reported 270,000 injuries that required emergency room visits last year and half of these visits showed some sort of brain trauma.

Even with the recent law that children under 16 years old must wear helmets, only 25% of children actually wear helmets while riding their bike. If this rule was enforced and followed, the brain trauma caused each year would decrease by 90%.

Wearing a helmet will help, but making sure it's the right size is just as important. If the helmet isn't the proper size, the risk of a head injury is almost double than if your child was fitted properly.

A damaged helmet should always be replaced. If your child has been in a crash, it probably means the helmet is now damaged. If your child doesn't like wearing a helmet, you should allow them to choose their own helmet. This will increase the chances of them wearing it. If you ride with your children, always set an example and wear a helmet as well.

Besides wearing a helmet, there are several other ways to keep your child safe. Maintaining a bike is crucial. Making sure the chain is always oiled and functioning properly could help prevent an accident. Also making sure it's the right size bike and that the seat is at the right height are important. If your child is standing next to the bike, they should have 1-2 inches between the top bar. The handle bars should also be level with the seat.

The last piece of the puzzle to a safe ride is a child who understands things to look out for. Things like pot holes and gravel roads can be dangerous. Then there should always be awareness for cars. If there are sidewalks, that's the ideal riding situation however many sidewalks won't allow bikers. If riding on the street, always make sure your children know to ride with traffic and to encourage the use of hand signals.

Biking can be a lot of fun for kids. It allows them to get some exercise and get outside on a nice day. This guideline can really help keep your children safe while they're out there enjoying!