Each month, this series will provide important facts and tips surrounding child safety in an effort to support parents and caregivers as they navigate reducing risks and creating the safest environment possible for the children in their lives.
If you’ve been counting down for warmer days and later sunsets, you’re not alone! May is National Bicycle Safety Month and the perfect time to gather your family on a bike ride and enjoy the sunshine together. From the tiniest of tots to teenagers, we want to ensure your family members are staying safe and healthy when riding their bikes, so we’ve put together some research-based tips from the National Safety Council to help you lead your family in the right direction all season long.
Wearing Helmets: A Non-Negotiable Rule
One of the most critical safety measures for cyclists of any age is wearing a helmet. Making sure your children have properly fitting helmets can literally make a life or death difference in the case of an accident. Help your kids feel excited and empowered by letting them choose their own helmet with colors, characters or designs they like. Ensure helmets fit snug and sit level when worn on their head, covering their forehead without tilting back and forth. Always lead by example as the adult and wear a helmet so your family learns that this is part of riding.
Bicycle Size: Finding the Right Fit
This is one of the safety steps that can be most skipped by adults due to the desire to pass down a gently used bike, but having the right size bicycle is as important as their helmet. Riding a bike that is too large or too small can compromise your little rider’s control and increase the risk of accidents. Make sure your child can straddle the bike with both of their feet flat on the ground and have a slight bend in their knees when sitting on the seat. You also want to check that the handlebars and seat are adjusted to a comfortable height to give them the right control when riding and promote proper posture.
Learning Traffic Signals: Rules of the Road
No matter what age your children are, you can begin teaching them traffic signals and bicycle safety. Remember the age old game, “red light, green light?” Start with stopping at red lights and stop signs and then begin teaching yielding to pedestrians, and using hand signals to indicate turns or stops for drivers nearby. Encourage children to avoid all distractions and always stay alert and aware of their surroundings when riding.
Supervision = Safety: Biking as a Family
Riding bikes as a family and with friends and neighbors not only creates fun memories but helps reinforce bike safety and awareness together, as well. As your kids are learning the rules of the road and starting to ride a little more on their own, riding together can help spot anywhere they are falling short on the safety rules. Conducting a short safety check from time to time on all family bikes (checking the tires for proper inflation, making sure the brakes are working and ensuring the chains are lubricated) can help reduce injury. On family rides, designate a leader to set the pace and help navigate any safety concerns on the trail!
Participate in Bike-to-School-Day on May 7th
This annual event, celebrated by hundreds of communities across the United States, is a great opportunity for those families living within close distance to their students’ schools! This event encourages kids of all ages to embrace an environmentally friendly mode of transportation while being active and reminding them of bike safety. Reach out to neighboring families to see who is planning to bike to school that day, so your kids can stick together and enjoy their ride.
For more information and resources on bike safety, head to nsc.org.
