Back to School Safety: Teach Your Child How to Ride a Bike Safely

When school starts, the roads become congested with motorists and pedestrians. Many parents drive their children to school, and others allow their children to walk or ride a bike to school. Due to the high volume of drivers on the road during the school year, it is important to teach your children a few lessons to ensure they arrive to school and back home in a safe manner. Below is a list of helpful tips to teach children if you allow them to ride their bikes to school.

1.“Ride your bike on the sidewalk when there is one available.”

Unlike adult cyclists, children riding their bikes should remain on sidewalks as often as possible. This is because children are much smaller, thus, less noticeable. In addition, many children are inexperienced bicyclists. This creates extreme danger for children who may fall or make improper maneuvers when riding in the street.

2.“If there is not a sidewalk, ride as far to the right as possible.”

In some areas, sidewalks are not available. In these cases, children should ride their bikes as far right as possible. By doing so, children remain in a place that is safer and makes them more noticeable. (Note: It may be wise to find an alternate route for your child if his/her current route does not have sidewalks.)

3.“Ride with the flow of traffic.”

Unlike pedestrians, bicyclists should ride with the flow of traffic. Since this is a common practice, motorists are more used to looking for bicyclists riding in the same direction. Bicyclists experience less dangerous conditions since there is a decreased risk for head-on collisions with much larger vehicles.

4.“Always wear your helmet.”

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It is important to teach your child to wear a helmet anytime he/she ride his bicycle. Oftentimes, children will not wear a helmet because they feel their home is not far from school. However, accidents can occur anywhere. By teaching your child to make a habit out of wearing helmet, you can ensure your child is much safer when commuting via bicycle.

5.“Obey traffic laws and instructions given by safety officials and law enforcement officers.”

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Children should learn to obey traffic signs such as crosswalk signals as well as any crossing guards that may instruct them when or when not to cross streets. In addition, it is important to teach children to be curious of other students and persons that may be using the same crossing paths as them. This will lessen the chances of accidents with other pedestrians and cyclists.

6.“Wear bright or reflective clothing.”

Many children participate in extracurricular activities after the school day is over. Often, children who do participate in these activities must ride home at dark hours. If so, it is best to inform your children to pick out brighter or reflective clothing, or make sure your child’s bike has reflective gear attached. This will allow other motorists to see your child as he/she rides home.

Suzuki Law Offices Cares

Our lawyers care about the safety of your children. We hope that you will take into account the various tips to help your children arrive home safely every day. Our team understands that most parents have very rigorous and busy schedules. By teaching your children the most basic safety tips, you can ensure they are traveling as carefully as possible.

If you child is involved in a bicycle accident, contact the Phoenix bicycle accident attorneys at Suzuki Law Offices today. We put a fearless and strategic team on your side to help you recover the compensation you deserve.

Do not let a person get away with harming your child. Contact the firm today. We are available 24/7 to take your call.