When it comes to accidents, automobile crashes often take the spotlight. However, bicycle accidents occur daily. And many of them involve children, some of whom sustain life-changing injuries or, worse, lose their lives.
The earlier you protect your child from bike accidents, the better for you. Here are 6 bike safety tips to keep your child alert and safe when riding a bicycle.
1. Prioritize Helmets for your Kids
A little blow to the head during an accident can be fatal; hence, the need to ensure your child’s head is always protected while riding. A good way to do this is by prioritizing the use of helmets.
Helmets are lifesavers. They protect the head against head injuries and the elements. To ensure that your kids always use their helmets when riding, lecture them on the importance. And since you won’t be around all the time to remind them to use their helmet, we recommend putting a sign next to their bicycle as a reminder.
When buying a helmet for your kid, let them make the selection, as it’ll increase their chances of wearing it. You should also ensure that the helmet meets the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission’s standards. If it does, it’ll have a CPSC label on it.
Finally, the helmet you buy should fit your child well. It should fit on top of their head and not tilt back or forward. This will ensure that your child’s head is well-protected during a collision.
2. Hardware
In addition to buying a helmet for your kid, you also need to ensure that they are riding the right bike size.
Is your child a novice? Then they should be able to sit on the seat of their bikes with both feet touching the ground.
Always carry out routine inspections and maintenance to ensure your kid’s bike is in good condition. Check the tires, are they well inflated? What about the spokes, are they secured? Next, the chain, is it secured as well? And the handlebars? If you have issues with any of the bike hardware, you can take it to the local bike shop for the necessary adjustments or repairs.
3. Prepare for Conflicts
Of course, we don’t pray for our child to be involved in any conflict. However, it pays to be prepared should conflicts or accidents happen.
First, lecture your kid on the various braking and turning techniques to prevent crashes. Also, remind them to avoid fire hydrants, potholes, rocks, and anything that could raise their chances of being involved in an accident.
However, should your kid get involved in an accident, ensure you engage a bicycle accident lawyer. The professional will know what to do and how to seek compensation for your kid. Before contacting a lawyer, you should:
- Leave the bike where it is
- Get quick medical care
- Contact the police
- Get the contact information of the at-fault driver
4. Teach your kids the rules of the road
There are certain rules that bicyclists are required to follow. It’s important you teach your children these rules before they go out on their bikes. For example, teach them to be conscious of the traffic lights and obey them. In addition, it would help if you encouraged them to ride with the traffic and obey stop signs, markings, etc.
Also, explain the importance of being aware of their environment when riding their bikes. And don’t forget to warn them against riding their bikes on busy highways. Instead of riding their bikes on highways, encourage them to ride on less busy roads, on the right side— and with traffic flow.
5. Warn against the use of headphones while riding
Discourage your kids from using their headphones when riding, as blocking their ears makes it hard for them to hear a horning motorcyclist or a vehicle approaching from their blind spot.
Try to explain the effects of riding with headphones, including the need to remain 100% focused and vigilant while on the road. This should prevent them from using their headphones even when you aren’t around.
6. Make them visible to motorists.
Always ensure that your kids wear brightly colored clothes when riding their bikes. This will make them more visible to motorists, some of whom get distracted when driving.
Also, discourage your kids from riding in the evening. You should only allow this if their headlight and rear taillight are functional. Finally, consider purchasing reflective clothing for your kid if they are fond of riding in the evening.
Conclusion
While you adopt measures to keep your kids safe while riding their bicycles, you must lecture them on the importance of following the rules.
Don’t dictate the rules to them like a dictator. They may not follow them when you aren’t around. Instead, let them know the importance. You should also explain the repercussions if they fail to abide by the rules.
