People ride bikes for exercise, transportation or both. Parents share their enthusiasm for bicycling with their young children by taking the wee ones along on seats designed to carry young passengers. If you exercise caution and use well-maintained equipment, you can minimize risks and pass on your joy of biking.
Risks
Bicycle injuries cost almost $200 million in medical expenses in 2003, according to the National Institute of Health. In 2007, about 43,000 bicyclers sustained injuries in traffic accidents, according to the website Helmets. However, most cycling accidents do not involve vehicles but instead occur when bikes encounter other bikes or road hazards. Rocks, stumps, potholes, curbs, and loose gravel provide a dose of risk to even off-road ventures. The added weight and unpredictable movement of child passengers contribute to the usual risks of bicycling. One-third of injuries to child bicycle passengers happen when a stationary bike falls while the child is in the seat. These accidents occur when a parent loses control of the bicycle while dismounting or mounting, uses the kickstand, or leans the bicycle against an object with the child in the passenger seat.
Weight and Age Range
Seats that mount to either the front or the rear of bicycles accommodate children who weigh up to 44 lbs. Never take a child younger than 1 year on a bike ride. Their necks and backs are not sufficiently developed to absorb the bumps and jolts of a bike ride. Unless they are unusually tall or large, children up to 3 or 4 years of age can usually sit comfortably and safely in child bicycle seats. Follow the weight and height guidelines of the manufacturer.
Front Seats
Seats mounted in the front generally perch the child above the handlebars. These seats provide fair maneuverability and stability as the weight of the child is positioned over the front tire. Additionally, the parent can easily talk and interact with the child, it is easier to get off and on the bike, and it is less awkward to place the child in and out of the seat while straddling the bike. A possible peril with front-mounted seats is that if the child drops an object it can jam in the front spokes and flip the cycle and both riders head over heals. Eliminate this risk by not allowing the child to carry anything that could seize the front wheel.
Rear Seats
Rear seats are more commonly sold in the United States, and certain brands are manufactured to meet the standards for the American Society for Testing and Materials. Otherwise, rear seats pose no distinct advantages over front-mounted seats. In fact, rear seats might expose children to more risk for injuries to their arms, face and neck than front seats during a fall because the child is not shielded from the ground by handlebars.
Precautions
Children should wear a helmet anytime they are placed in a bicycle child seat. Always use the provided safety straps and follow the manufacturer's instructions. Make sure your child is not wearing clothing or shoes with loose ties or strings that could get entangled in the wheels. Maintain your bike assiduously, and check the brakes, air pressure and structural integrity of the bike and seat. Beware of people in parked cars flinging their doors open. Keep an eye out for water hazards, holes, loose stones, vehicles, inattentive bicyclers, self-absorbed pedestrians and other hazards.
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