2. Be thoroughly familiar with the controls of your
bicycle.
3. Be careful to keep body parts and other objects away
from the sharp teeth of chainrings; the moving chain;
the turning pedals and cranks; and the
spinning wheels of your bicycle.
4. Always wear a cycling helmet which
meets the latest Snell or ANSI standard.
5. Always wear shoes that will stay on
your feet and will grip the pedals. Never
ride barefoot or wearing sandals.
6. Wear bright, visible clothing that is not
so loose that is can catch on moving
parts of the bicycle or be snagged by
objects at the side of the road or trail.
7. Don’t jump with your bike. Jumping a bike,
particularly a BMX bike, can be fun; but it puts
incredible stress on everything from your spokes to
your pedals. Perhaps most vulnerable to jumping -
on jumping their bikes risk serious damage, to their
bicycles as well as to themselves.
C. RULES OF THE ROAD
1. Learn the local bicycle laws and regulations. Many
communities have special regulations about
licensing of bicycles, riding on sidewalks, law
regulating bike path and trail use, and so on. Many
states have helmet laws, child carrier laws and
money” to the bike so that, in an emergency, the
child will be able to call home.
Following the Leader: There is increased risk of
car/bike collision if children are following each other,
because if the first one does something dangerous,
those following may do it too.
What can you do?
Teach your child to always assess the traffic
situation for him/herself. When a group is riding
around, each cyclist should stop for stop signs;
each cyclist should look to the rear before making
left turns; and so on. One way to get the message
across is to play a game with the chld similar to
‘Simon Says’. In this game, however, the emphasis
should not be on doing what ‘Simon Says’, but
rather have the child make a decision based on the
situation. The child should learn to ignore what
‘Simon Says’. Children need to learn to think for
themselves to ride safely.
SUMMARY: Teach your child early - the earlier the
better. Learning skills such as looking and avoiding
hazards takes time. Be prepared to repeat lessons
until your child understands what you’re trying to
get across. Be patient. Your efforts will be rewarded,
knowing that your child is aware of safe riding skills.
B. THE BASICS
1. Always do the Mechanical Safety Check Before
you get on a bike.
P A G E
7
SAFETY
BICYCLE
SAFETY
