Bicycle Safety

Everyone that knows how to ride a bike remembers the trial and error process it took to learn how to stay up on two wheels. More importantly though, we remember all the safety techniques necessary to ride a bicycle that we will all pass on to our children. As the holidays approach, many parents get bikes for their kids as gifts. It is important to know the right safety precautions before your kids ride around the neighborhood on their own!

As we all developed the skills to balance on two wheels, we were all exposed to wearing protective gear as we fell off our bikes and got back on. As one of the most important safety measures, be sure to give your children a helmet and pads to protect them from hurting themselves while riding around your neighborhood. Illustrate the importance of awareness while they ride their bicycles, especially for cars and pedestrians. There are even universal hand signals that cyclists can learn in order to communicate with other cyclists, as well as drivers. Take some time to research on these signals so that your family is prepared to take on the neighborhood on their new bike! Also, make sure to let your kids know to avoid riding in the dark. Drivers have a very hard time seeing cyclists at night, so avoiding it entirely is the best option from a safety perspective. If it is absolutely necessary that your child ride their bike one night, make sure they have proper reflectors on the front and back of their bicycle so that they are completely visible to drivers and other people!

Stay safe!