BICYCLE SAFETY

INFORMATION AND PREVENTION

April 2009
TRAINING OBJECTIVES

 Identify ways parents and adults can

encourage children to wear helmets
 Identify Rules of the Road for children
riding bicycles
 Identify Safe Riding Tips for children and
be able to share these tips with children
and families
BICYCLE SAFETY

 Bike riding is a lot of fun for children.

However, bicycle riding can also have
consequences. Every year, close to
176,000 children go to a hospital
emergency room because of bike accident
injuries. Some children die due to head
injuries.
(KidsHealth.org)
MISSOURI BICYCLE-RELATED
FATALITIES
 Of the 93 reviewed motor vehicle
fatalities among Missouri children in
2007, two were bicycle-related.
 Of the two fatalities, one of the children
was wearing a helmet.
 A 14-year old and his grandfather were
riding bikes on the side of the road,
when a pickup ran into the back of
them. Neither was wearing a helmet.
Both suffered fatal injuries.
 A 17-year-old boy was riding his
bicycle along a city street, when he was
struck by a vehicle that was being
pursued by the police. He sustained
multi-systems trauma and died at the
hospital.
SUGGESTIONS FOR GETTING
CHILDREN TO WEAR A BIKE HELMET
 Helmets can protect children from injuries.
The Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute gives
the following tips to parents:
 Establish the helmet habit early, when

children get their first bikes. This habit

should start when children get their first
tricycle to establish a link between
wheeled vehicles, pavement and
helmets.
 Let children pick their helmet. If
children choose their own helmet,
they may be more likely to buy into
the idea.
 Wear a helmet yourself. Children

learn from their parents. Whenever a

parent rides their bike, they should
put on a helmet.
 Reward and praise children for

wearing helmets.
 Talk to your children about why you
want them to protect their heads.
Let them know that their bikes are
not toys, and they can permanently
hurt their heads or even die from a
head injury.
 Encourage your child’s friends to

wear helmets.
 Give your child a short course in
bicycle safety. Children need basic
safety instructions.
 Point out when watching sports

events, how many professional

athletes use helmets. Football and
hockey players, baseball batters and
race care drivers all wear helmets.
 Take your child to a bicycle race.
Bicycle racers are required to wear
helmets in the United States, the Tour
de France and almost everywhere.
Children will see (usually close up)
cool riders competing in an event
while using helmets.
 Do not let children ride their bikes
unless they’re wearing a helmet. If
children are allowed to ride
occasionally without their helmets,
they will not believe messages
about the importance of them.
 Plan bicycle outings together when

all family members wear their

helmets.
RULES OF THE ROAD FOR
CHILDREN
 It is important for children to also know
where and how they can ride their bicycles.
The following guidelines are from the
National Highway and Traffic Safety
Administration:
 Go with the traffic flow. Bicyclists
should ride on the right side of the
road in the same direction as other
vehicles.
 Obey all traffic laws. A bicycle is a
vehicle, and the bicyclist is the driver.
It is important for bicyclists to obey
all traffic signs, signals and lane
markings.
 Be predictable. Bicyclists must ride

in a straight line, not in and out of

cars. Moves must be signaled to
others.
 Yield to traffic, when appropriate.
Almost always, drivers on a smaller
road must yield or wait for traffic on a
major or larger road. If there is no
stop sign or traffic signal and a
bicyclist is coming from a driveway,
sidewalk, bike path, etc., they must
slow down and look to see if the way
is clear before they go on. This
includes yielding to pedestrians who
have already entered a crosswalk.
 Stay alert at all times. Bicyclists
must watch out for potholes, cracks,
wet leaves, storm grates, railroad
tracks, or anything that could make
them lose control of their bike. To
ensure bicyclists can hear when they
ride, they should not wear a headset.
 Look before turning. When turning
left or right, it is important to always
look behind you for a break in traffic,
then signal before making the turn.
Watch for left or right-turning traffic.
 Watch for parked cars. Bicyclists

should ride far enough out from the

curb to avoid the unexpected from
parked cars (like doors opening or
cars pulling out).
 The safest place for bicycle riding is
on the street. Children less than 10
years old are not mature enough to
make decisions necessary to safely
ride in the street.
 Children less than 10 years old are

better off riding on the sidewalk.

SAFE RIDING TIPS FOR
CHILDREN
 It is important for children to abide by safe
riding tips. The following guidelines are from
the National Highway and Traffic Safety
Administration:
•Wear a properly fitted bicycle helmet.
•Check your bicycle equipment. Before
riding make sure tires are inflated properly
and that the brakes work.
 Adjust your bicycle to fit. Stand over
your bicycle. There should be 1 to 2
inches between you and the top tube
(bar), if using a road bike and 3 to 4
inches, if it is a mountain bicycle.
The seat should be level from front to
back. The seat height should be
adjusted to allow a slight bend at the
knee, when the leg is fully extended.
The handlebar height should be at
the same level with the seat.
 Control your bicycle. Always ride with at
least one hand on the handlebars. Carry
books and other items in a bicycle carrier
or backpack.
 See and be seen. Always wear fluorescent,

neon or other bright colors when riding day

or night. Wear something that reflects
light, such as reflective tape or markings,
or flashing lights. Remember, just because
you can see a driver doesn’t mean they
can see you.
 Avoid riding at night. It is more
dangerous for children to ride bikes
at night than during the day. Do
make sure there are reflectors on the
front and rear of the bicycle, in
addition to reflectors on tires. Many
states require bicycles to have white
lights on the front and red rear
reflectors.
 The Academy of Pediatrics suggests
these “Rules of the Road”:
 When turning or stopping, always use

hand signals.
 Look both ways at street corners and

driveways.
 Always ride with the traffic, to the

right.
 Always stop at STOP signs and the
curb.
 When you ride on the sidewalk watch

out for people.

 Riders must always wear their

helmet.
 For More Information

 National Highway Traffic Safety Administration,

www.nhtsa.dot.gov/people/injury/pedbimot/bike
/KidsandBikeSafetyWeb/
 Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute,
www.bhsi.org/kidswear.htm
 American Academy of Pediatrics,
www.aap.org/family/bicycle.htm
 KidsHealth,
www.kidshealth.org/kid/watch/out/bike_safety.h
tml
Missouri Department of Social Services
State Technical Assistance Team
Address:
PO Box 208
Jefferson City, MO
65102-0208
Telephone:
(573) 751-5980
(800) 487-1626
(8 a.m. to 5 p.m. CST,
Monday – Friday)
Email:
 dls.stat@dss.mo.gov