BICYCLE SAFETY

BICYCLE SAFETY
Avoiding fatal crashes:
* Never ride out into a street without stopping first.
* Obey stop signs.
* Check behind before swerving, turning or changing lanes.
* Never follow another rider without applying the rules.
* Before you get on your bike, put on a helmet.
Time to ride and practice the rules:
* Gear: Start with a helmet, gloves to protect the skin on their hands and perhaps even skaters' knee and elbow pads for the first rides.
* Adjust the bicycle for your child, and be sure they can reach pedals, bars and brakes comfortably.
* Show your child how to stop the bike. Hold them up and gently move them forward as they use the brakes to stop until you are sure they know how.
* Balance: Run alongside the bike, holding it up by the seat with one hand on the handlebars to show how you turn them to keep the bike upright.
* Riding: Nobody learns without practice. Riding with your child is probably the best way to practice the rules. Go over the rules, then ride, stopping occasionally to review what they have just done and praise their good performance. Notice that if they are behind you, your rule about not following automatically will be severely challenged, even if you ride through a red light or directly into the path of a car. As with almost any other skill, practice is required to ingrain techniques.
Protecting yourself while riding at night:
* Use a headlight.
* Be sure your bike has front and rear reflectors, pedal reflectors, and side rim or wheel reflectors.
* Wear reflective clothing.
* Young children should not ride at night.
* Avoid riding on dark, narrow roads.
How to test any style of bike for proper fit:
* Sitting on the seat with hands on the handlebar, your child must be able to place the balls of both feet on the ground.
* Straddling the center bar, your child should be able to stand with both feet flat on the ground with about a 1-inch clearance between the crotch and the bar.
* When buying a bike with hand brakes for an older child, make sure the child can comfortably grasp the brakes and apply sufficient pressure to stop it.
Choosing the right bicycle for your child:
A bicycle of the wrong size may cause your child to lose control and be injured. Any bike must be the correct size for the child for whom it is bought.
* Do not push your child to ride a two-wheeled bike until he or she is ready, about age 5 or 6. Consider the child's coordination and desire to learn to ride. Stick with coaster brakes until your child is older and more experienced.
* Take your child with you when you shop for the bike, so that he or she can try it. The value of a properly fitting bike far outweighs the value of surprising your child with a new bike.
* Buy a bike that is the right size, not one your child has to grow into. Oversize bikes are especially dangerous.
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 1995 statistics; U.S. Consumer Products Safety Committee; Johns Hopkins Injury Prevention Center; Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute; American Academy of Pediatrics