Bike Safety - Road Rules

Bike to School Day is a great opportunity to encourage kids to stay active and reduce their carbon footprint at the same time! Biking to school can help your kids build positive habits of exercising and biking to save gas, while also making them feel more independent, responsible, and trustworthy. Make sure your children understand the boundaries for when and where they can ride, and set good examples yourself by following your own rules and safety guidelines on bike-rides together.

Here are some important Road Rules for bike safety you should review with your kids before Bike to School Day, and regularly throughout the year.

Road Rules for Biking

Before Riding:

• Make sure your seat, handlebars, and wheels fit tightly.
• Check your brakes and your chain regularly to be sure they work well and aren't sticking.
• Check your tires to make sure they have enough air and the right amount of tire pressure.
• Dress for bike-riding with bright clothing to be seen easily, closed toed shoes or sneakers, and no loose clothing or straps that might get caught in the chain (check shoelaces)!

When riding:

• Always wear a helmet!
• Always ride with your hands on the handlebars.
• Always stop and check for traffic in both directions when leaving your driveway, an alley, or a curb.
• Cross at intersections or cross-walks. When you pull out between parked cars, drivers can't see you coming.
• Walk your bike across busy intersections using the crosswalk and following traffic signals.

On the Path

• Remember to share the path with the other riders, walkers, and strollers who also might be using it!
• Always pass to other people’s left side, and call out "On your left!" so they know that you are coming.

  On the Street      

• Ride on the right-hand side of the street, so you travel in the same direction as cars do. Never ride against traffic.
• Use bike lanes or designated bike routes wherever you can.
• Don't ride too close to parked cars. Doors can open suddenly.
• Stop at all stop signs and obey traffic (red) lights just as the cars do.
• Ride single-file on the street with friends.   

By following these guidelines for bike safety, your child is sure to have a bike-to-school day that is a safe and enjoyable success! Make sure to set an example by always following these guidelines around your kids as well, so that they know how important it is to stay safe when biking so you can keep having fun! Let your children know that you are trusting them to follow these guidelines, and make sure to review their safety checklists regularly so it sticks with them! Have a fun and safe bike-to-school day!

The information in this blog was adapted from KidsHealth.org