Back To School Safety For Children That Ride A Bicycle To School

Back To School Safety For Children That Ride A Bicycle To School

As children get older many often prefer riding a bicycle to school as opposed to riding on a school bus. With that said, there are several essential safety precautions children should be instructed on when riding a bicycle to and from school. For example, wearing a helmet is perhaps one of the most basic and most important aspects of staying safe on a bicycle. A helmet is a key piece of gear that is designed to protect the head from injuries.

The Helmet

For a helmet to be totally effective it should fit correctly and should be positioned low on the forehead. In most instances, there should be the equivalent of about two fingers of space between the eyebrows and the edge of the helmet. Equally important is to ensure that children are instructed on the rules of the road when riding near or around vehicular traffic. If there is ever any question with regard to children fully understanding the rules of the road, a parent should always accompany a child riding a bicycle to school.

Make Eye Contact

Another key safety strategy for children riding bicycles to school is to always ride on the right side of the road. Moving in the same direction as motor vehicles is typically the safest strategy. In addition, children riding a bicycle should always be taught to come to a complete stop before crossing streets or intersections. Another great way of improving safety is to make eye contact with drivers of automobiles and look for some type of signal from the driver that it is okay to cross. It is this mutual unspoken agreement that often provides the greatest levels of safety.

Riding Skills

Parents should also ensure children riding bicycles to school have brightly colored clothing on as a way to increase visibility. While children normally do not ride bicycles at night when traveling to or from school, those who do ride a bicycle at night should have adequate lighting and reflectors. Finally, it is always a good idea to work with children to improve their riding skills with regard to riding a bicycle. Children who are more skilled riders are less likely to be involved in some type of incident or accident. Contact Hastings & Hastings today to learn more about a Phoenix Arizona accident attorney with years of experience in helping accident victims.