Safety Tips: Bicycling

Bicycling is a fun and healthy activity that offers entertainment, exercise, and a practical mode of transportation. It’s a great way for children of various ages to enjoy time with family and friends.

However, it’s important to ride safely. LuskinOIC’s team encourages you to review these safety tips, and to teach children the best way to stay safe while having fun on their bikes!

Key Safety Considerations for Children

To help ensure safe riding, children should be taught the following safety practices:

• Helmet Use: A properly fitted helmet should be worn every time a child rides a bike. Helmets help protect against serious head injuries in the event of a fall or crash.
• Bike Fit: The bicycle should be the right size for the child. A bike that is too large or too small can be difficult to control and may increase the chance of accidents.
• Supervision and Environment: Younger children should ride in safe, controlled areas away from traffic. Sidewalks, parks, or designated bike paths are generally more appropriate than busy streets.
• Visibility: Bright or reflective clothing can help make children more visible to drivers and others, especially in the early morning or evening. Bikes should also have reflectors or lights as needed.
• Traffic Awareness: Children should be taught to watch for cars, stop at intersections, and obey traffic signs and signals. They should always ride in the same direction as traffic if on the road.

Safety Hand Signals for Bicycling

As children grow and start riding in areas where they may interact with traffic or other cyclists, it’s important for them to learn basic hand signals. These signals communicate a rider’s intentions and help improve safety on shared paths or roads.

• Left Turn Signal: Extend the left arm straight out to the side
• Right Turn Signal:
  • Option 1: Extend the right arm straight out to the side.
  • Option 2: Bend the left arm upward at a 90-degree angle, with the hand pointing up.
• Stop or Slow Down Signal: Bend the left arm downward at a 90-degree angle, with the hand pointing down

Conclusion

Teaching children how to ride safely helps build skills that will serve them well into adulthood. In addition to wearing helmets and using properly sized bikes, children should learn how to stay alert, be visible, and use hand signals correctly. These simple steps can make a big difference in keeping young riders safe and confident on their bicycles.