Bike Safety for Kids

With public schools back in session, it's time to remind kids, parents and teachers about some important safety practices for kids who ride their bicycles to school.

 Riding bikes to school is a healthy fitness activity that should be encouraged if kids ride safely and do not put themselves in harm's way due to the risk of collisions with a motor vehicle or falls on their bicycle.

 According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, approximately 400 children and adolescents die each year in the United States due to bicycle-related accidents with another 400,000 ending up in emergency rooms because of bike injuries.

 Almost all of those accidents are avoidable if children are taught to ride in a safe manner.

The Safe Routes to School National Partnership (http://saferoutespartnership.org) has compiled a listing of basic bike safety concepts that should be taught to children by parents, teachers or community groups.

 Those safety concepts include how to cross the street safely, bike and helmet fitting, positioning yourself properly on a road, letting drivers know your intentions, how to safely negotiate turns and intersections (hand signals, signs, traffic awareness), the basics of traffic law to include right of way and rules of the road, and practicing those bike skills with an informed adult supervising.

 Bike safety skills for kids are included in training programs such as the Supercyclist curriculum from the Texas Bicycle Coalition (biketexas.org) and the Kids I or Kids II programs developed by the League of American Bicyclists (bikeleague.org).

 If an organized bike safety program isn't available, there are some key safety practices that parents, teachers and friends can make sure that kids understand and comply with.

 Visibility - make sure that motorists can easily see a kid on a bike.  This is especially critical during low light periods such as early morning or evening.  Light colored clothing, reflective jackets, reflectors on bikes and blinking safety lights will all help motorists see a cyclist.

Helmets - all children (and adults) riding a bicycle should wear an approved helmet at all times when riding.  Even a minor fall from a bike onto hard dirt or pavement can result in a serious head injury.

Ride with traffic - although many children are (improperly) taught to ride facing traffic, Texas traffic law require all cyclists riding on public streets to move with the flow of traffic. Numerous research studies show significantly fewer cyclist-motor vehicle accidents when riding in the same direction as motor vehicle traffic.

 As an example, a study of bicycle-motor vehicle collisions in the city of Palo Alto, Cali­fornia showed that cyclists traveling against the direction of traffic flow were at greatly increased risk for accidents - as high as 6.6 times greater risk for cyclists 17 and under.

 This finding implies that vigorous enforcement of the laws against wrong-way bicycling on the roadway for both adults and children can substantially reduce the number of bicycle-motor vehicle collisions and should receive high priority in any bicycle program.

Safe routes - parents, schools and community groups should work together to identify safe routes for children cycling to and from school.  Safe routes could include those with marked bike lanes, sidewalks or paths, protected intersection crossings and low motor vehicle traffic

Alleys that open onto a street - these are among the most dangerous locations for cyclists. If these areas cannot be avoided (for example, along the Southland Blvd bike lanes near Bonham Elementary) then kids must be taught to proceed very carefully as they ride past an alley opening.

 Backpacks and other items - when items such as books or bags need to be carried while riding they should be placed in a backpack or basket to allow both hands to be on the bicycle's handlebars at all times. Avoid heavy backpacks that affect balance and do not drape bags or clothing such as coats over the bars.

 Although the bike safety suggestions listed above cover the most important issues, there are other dangers that school kids could face while riding (or walking) to school. The best way to mitigate these risks is for parents, schools, community organizations such as cycling clubs and law enforcement officers to collaborate in teaching safety and correcting unsafe practices.

Remember - riding to school is good for kids, but it needs to be done in a safe manner.




Upcoming Events

Oct 18: Heart Walk 5K, roadlizards.org

Oct 19: West Texas Half Marathon and 5K, westtexashalf.com/

Oct 25: Armydillo 10K, roadlizards.org/events/armydillow-10k-run/

Nov 1: 30K of the Dinosaur trail race, roadlizards.org

Nov 1: Six Hours of the Dinosaur mountain bike race, angelobike.org/6hour-dinosaur

Nov 15: West Texas Masochist Run II, roadlizards.org/events/masochists-relay-run/