This is part of a sponsored collaboration with the PreK12 Plaza. However, all opinions expressed are my own.
Five Bike Safety Tips for Kids
A few weeks ago, what started off as a fun day at the park, turned into a scary emergency room visit for my oldest son. I remember that morning he begged me to take his roller blades out. I was pretty much against it. I told him that he didn’t have all the proper equipment. It wasn’t a good idea, but he was very adamant about using them. Against my better judgment as his mom I gave in. My son ended up tripping over rocks face first going at a very high speed while on his skates. He suffered from a busted lip and nose that needed stitches. He also had to get an x-ray on his leg to make sure there were no broken bones. As a mom I was totally distraught over this whole ordeal. I’m pretty sure I cried more than he did. In fact, I did because he never cried. He kept saying “Mommy, I’m okay.” Even though I didn’t feel okay. We should have better prepared to be safe at the park that day.
Two weeks ago I went bike shopping for all of my kids. This time around I wanted to make sure I was taking all of the necessary safety precautions so that we can avoid another scary accident. During the summer there is actually an increase in injuries and even deaths of children due to bike related accidents. More kids ages 5 to 14 are seen in the ER from hurting themselves on their bikes than any other sport. I’m sharing these tips that I used to make sure my children are safe, and hopefully yours will be as well!
1. Helmets – All children should wear a proper fitting helmet. Use the EYES/EARS/MOUTH test to ensure a secure fit. The helmet should be level and snug. When worn properly, helmets reduce the risk of serious brain injuries by 88%. Unfortunately only 45% of children ages 5 to 14 wear helmets when riding their bikes. It’s best to take your children with you when picking out a helmet to guarantee a proper fit.
Check out this video on how to get the best fit when choosing a helmet:
2. Reflectors – Make sure your child’s bike is equipped with several reflectors. If they happen to be riding outside at dusk, motorists need to be able to see them. It’s even a good idea to wear clothing that has reflective material.
3. Hand Signals – If your child is old enough to ride in the street, confirm that he knows the proper hand signals and that he obeys the traffic lights and stop signs.
4. Proper Bike Size – Before I went out to buy everyone a new bike, I measured all of their inseams. This let me know what size bike I should be purchasing for my children. Over-sized bikes that children can “grow into” are dangerous and children can hurt themselves riding one.
5. Supervision – As parents, we can’t prevent every accident but we can intervene if we see one about to happen. It’s best to supervise our children as they ride their bikes this summer to assist in their safety.
More tips on bike safety for kids below:
How are you keeping your kids safe on their bikes this summer?
No comments yet. Be the first one to leave a thought.