Preventing Bicycle Injuries

Approximately 800 bicyclists are killed, and 60,000 are injured in motor vehicle-related crashes each year. In addition, hospital emergency rooms treat 500,000 bicycle-related injuries each year that may not be involved with motor-vehicles. It is very important to stress to your children the significance of safety when riding a bicycle.

• Remind your child that a bicycle is not a toy; it is a vehicle.
• Insist that your child wear a helmet every time he rides a bicycle. Replace the helmet if it has been damaged in any way.
• Let your child choose a helmet, to ensure that it will be worn. Make sure it has a sticker indicating that it meets the national safety standards.
• Instruct your child on the correct way to wear a helmet. Make sure it fits snugly and covers the forehead.
• Set a good example. Wear a helmet yourself.
• Notice when your child wears a helmet correctly and praise him.
• Check your child's bicycle for correct fit, properly working parts, and reflectors.
• Teach your child to look left-right-left before entering the roadway or intersection.
• Avoid allowing your child to ride at night, as drivers often miss seeing cyclists.
• Never let a child ride a bicycle while listening to audio headphones.
• Stress the need to ride defensively since many drivers do not see bicyclists.
• Bicyclists should ride single file on the right side of the road- just like cars- and signal their intentions to other road users.
• Check with driver licensing agencies and highway departments for booklets that explain bicycle safety rules.
• Enroll your child in a bicycle safety education program if one is available in your community.