Educate Your Child on Bicycle Safety

Bicycling is one of the healthiest activities and exercises that an individual can enjoy today—or in a group, and often with other family members. It works nearly every part of the body, and is low impact, while strengthening the heart, bones, and muscles. Small children can learn to ride their bikes early on, and once those training wheels come off, watch out! They can race out of bounds quickly, which is why it is good for parents to be involved in riding bikes too, whenever possible. More importantly though, while parents must practice defensive riding while biking—and all elements of safety—these are the most important lessons kids can learn. Your child may be planning to ride their bike to school too. This means some unsupervised time on the road, and they will need to be as well-apprised of traffic rules as any driver would be. That can be a lot for a child to take in, but well worth the time spent so they do not make a mistake while riding in proximity to cars, trucks, motorcycles, and other foot traffic. Once they understand the rules of the road, make sure also that their bicycle is in good working order. This means there should be a horn or bell, sturdy brakes and bicycle chain, and the bike should be a good fit for the child. Visibility is also extremely important. And although your child may be riding to school each day and it may not be easy to remember to constantly have them dress in bright clothing, it could make the difference between whether a motorist sees them or not—and helps to avoid an accident. Reflectors on the bike as well as on shoes or jackets or vests are a great idea if your child will be riding at dusk. Arms and knees should be covered to avoid road rash, and both elbow and knee pads are recommended; however, when it comes to protective gear, the helmet is most important of all, protecting from concussions, traumatic brain injury, facial fractures, and more. Make sure children have all their faculties about them when riding their bikes, and this means no earbuds! And although we all love to enjoy ourselves while outside and give a friend a lift every now and then, there should only ever be one person to a bicycle. Please contact the law offices of Andrew ‘Pike’ Piekalkiewicz, PLLC as soon as possible if you have been in a bicycle accident and injured due to the negligence of others. Call (713) 748-7453 for a no obligation case review.