There are few rites of childhood more universal and beloved than riding a bicycle. Unfortunately, more than 600 children die each year from bicycle falls, with thousands more injured, according to the Academy of American Pediatrics (AAP). Following AAP recommendations for bicycle safety will help decrease the likelihood your child will injure himself during a bike ride to school, the playground or just around the block.
Helmets
National Highway Transportation Safety Administration statistics for 2006 revealed that 95 percent of cyclists who died while riding were not wearing a helmet. According to the AAP, most biking accidents happen near the home, so even on short, neighborhood bike rides, your child should wear a helmet. The AAP reminds parents that football helmets are designed for football, and are not as safe a bicycle helmets, which are specifically designed to protect children during a fall from a bike.
Size Matters
Although it might make financial sense to buy a bicycle your child can grow into, it's more dangerous than buying the correct size. How easy it is for children to reach their pedals will affect their ability to pedal out of or brake away from danger.
Brake Types
Although younger children might want to graduate to the hand brakes older kids have on their 10 speeds, younger children with less hand-eye coordination, or those who are new to bike riding, should have bikes that are equipped with foot brakes.
Side of the Street
Children should ride on the right side of the road, with traffic. Although some parents believe that motorists are better able to see and avoid children riding toward them, children coming toward motorists confuse or surprise drivers, according to the AAP, resulting in approximately 25 percent of car-bicycle collisions.
Hand Signals
If a child is coordinated enough to ride a bike for a short period of time using only one hand, using hand signals will increase her safety if she is riding on the street. Many car-bicycle collisions occur when children do not forewarn drivers of their intentions.
Ride Defensively
Teach your child about his right-of-way in different situations, then ask him how a driver might not follow the law. For example, if you are riding on the sidewalk along a north-south street and come to an intersection with a green light for you, and a car is on the north-south street riding even with you, what might happen if you both come to the intersection when the light is green? The car might turn right and hit you as you legally go through the intersection using the crosswalk. Always assume a driver will not follow the law, and protect yourself in the event he doesn't.
No iPods
Riding a bike when you cannot hear car horns, tire screeches or yells from pedestrians increases your chance of getting injured. Don't let your child listen to music, or even talk on the phone, while bike riding.
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