Bike Safety for Kids – Advice for Parents
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In modern society, plenty of kids’ activities are transitioning to indoors due to the presence of technological devices such as video games. However, kids will still spend a significant amount of their free time carrying outside activities.
Riding bikes is one of the most popular activities that kids tend to enjoy. While this is a healthy activity for the children, it does have plenty of potential dangers that parents must handle. These dangers are not just limited to only when kids are having fun by themselves, but also when parents decide to take kids for a ride on their bikes.
Recognition of the potential dangers will allow the parents enough time to prepare and prevent the occurrence of such scenarios. Bike accidents are usually preventable as it involves taking extra steps of caution. Thus, the number one consideration before the kids take up the activity should be their safety.
Bicycle Safety for Kids Facts
Don't let your child be a bike safety statistic
A bike accident is one that can occur despite the level of skill of a child or a grown up. According to Stanford Children's Health, each year about 100 children are killed and 254,000 are injured as a result of bicycle related accidents. This illustrates that while some tips and tricks may help prevent accidents, focusing on ensuring safety even in the event of an accident is crucial.
Accidents can happen when the kids are on their own or when the parents are riding with the kids. Even the presence of the adult may not prevent the accident. Thus, these facts allow for the recognition of the situations that endanger the safety of the kids. This knowledge is critical as it allows the parents to learn about bicycle safety and teach them how they can be safe even with little supervision.
Bike Safety Checklist for Kids
A bike safety checklist for kids is an essential technique that allows the safety of the child to be a priority.
#1: Helmets are Key
There are no arguments about the importance of the helmets to the safety of the child. In case of an unavoidable accident, the helmets will prevent head injuries by at least 45%.
Head injuries can be fatal, or they may impact the life of the child in the long term. Besides the recognition of the importance of having helmets, there are other items in the checklists concerning the use of the helmets.
#2: Clothes are an Important Consideration
The type of clothes that a child wears during their playtime with their bikes will have an impact on their safety. You should teach the kids to avoid dark clothes as this is a checklist not just for riding a bicycle but also walking during dusk and dawn. Other bike safety checklist items for kids involving clothes include;
#3: Teach the Kids all the Traffic Rules
Bicycle road rules like single file riding are important to teach to kids early
It is important to provide children with a safe environment such as a playground where they can ride their bikes safely without interaction with traffic. However, as children grow older, it is essential to acknowledge that they are more likely to start riding bikes to reach a far destination. Thus, it is important that the kids are made aware of the Bicycle Traffic Rules at an early age.
Knowledge of the traffic rules coupled with other safety knowledge, will ensure that the kids are well prepared to safeguard themselves against the dangers of riding a bicycle. Some of the basic rules that kids need to be taught include;
#4: Kids Sitting Rules
One of the most important determinants of bike safety for kids is the seats. Taking young kids out for a ride means that you should not be concerned with whether the bike seats are safe enough for you and your child.
Here at Kid Sitting Safe we also provide parents with information about the best bike seats for their kids. Parents can select the model that they want based on popularity and positioning. Regardless of the model that will suit your needs and that of your child, safety is a priority in all of these models.
#5: Ride with your Kids
Spend quality time with your kids whilst teaching them bike safety
While bike safety for kids will enable you to how to teach your kids to be safe while riding bikes, it is important to supervise them. By riding with the kids, you are able to guide them on the rules of the road, and you get instant feedback on whether they have understood and how they implement the rules.
Riding with your kids not only allows you to spend quality time with your children but also ensures that they are comfortable enough before they go out by themselves.
The Bottom Line!
There are plenty of bicycle tips that you can give your kids, but the best way to ensure their safety is to supervise them. Buying the best bicycle gear and seats is also essential in ensuring that the kids are not put to risk due to malfunctioning parts of the bicycle.
