Bike Safety

Bike Safety: The Facts

  • Biking is great exercise, and it also helps children develop their strength, balance, and coordination. As children grow older, safe biking allows them independence to visit friends, parks, and playgrounds.
  • Each year, nearly 150,000 children are seriously injured when biking. Over 100 more are killed, usually in a bicycle/vehicle crash. Parents can play a major role in keeping children safe while biking.
     

Make sure your child wears their helmet properly.

A human brain is as soft as room temperature butter! Helmets are a MUST, even for short trips. A properly-worn helmet can prevent a serious injury.

EYES check: Position the helmet on your head. Look up and you should see the bottom rim of the helmet. The rim should be one to two finger-widths above the eyebrows.
Child wearing helmet
EARS check: Make sure the straps of the helmet form a “V” under your ears when buckled. The strap should be snug but comfortable.
Child wearing helmet
MOUTH check: Open your mouth as wide as you can. Do you feel the helmet hug your head? If not, tighten those straps and make sure the buckle is flat against your skin.
Child wearing helmet
Parent adjusts a child's bike helmet

Teach your child to ride safely.

Be sure your child knows how to be safe on their bike before you send them out on their own. Teach them traffic rules. Ride with them and show them how to be safe.

Parent and child riding bikes

Supervise your child before they ride on their own.

Then supervise carefully until you are sure they can handle ALL road situations safely, on their own, even when they are excited to get to their destination. Children also need to know what to do if there is an emergency.

Parent supervises children at a crossing

Test Yourself: Effective Supervision

Test Yourself: Adjusting your helmet