7 Safety Tips for Biking with Kids

 I just read a great article from People for Bikes discussing the reduction in youth bike fatalities over the last 30 years, and how it can probably be attributed to a rise in off-road bike trails. There’s no doubt bicycle-specific infrastructure, away from car traffic, is the safest place to bike. Of course, many of us live in towns and cities that are woefully lacking in bicycle infrastructure, but when and where it is available—make use of it. It’s totally worth adding on additional mileage or going out of your way about to take the safest route possible. 

Yes, I’m talking about you. If you put a helmet on your kid, but then fail to do the same, they are never going to value bicycle safety in any meaningful way. In contrast, my son yells at complete strangers as they go by: “Why aren’t you wearing a helmet? You’re going to splatter your brains on the pavement.”And believe me, you want your child to value wearing a helmet. Helmets reduce the risk of severe brain injury by 88 percent.  Also, depending on where you live, wearing a helmet might be the law.  Which brings us to our next tip….

Know what the bicycle laws are in your area, and follow them. In most areas, they are going to be very similar to vehicular traffic. Make sure you stop at stop lights and stop signs, signal before turning, and ride on the street (not the sidewalk). Model good behavior and teach your children the rules on the road. The most dangerous thing you can do on a bicycle is ride unpredictably. Make sure that the cars around you know what line you are taking. Teach your kids to make eye contact with drivers. Don’t pull out in front of a car at an intersection if they haven’t acknowledged your presence. 

When biking in the early morning or evening (even if it is not totally dark yet) make sure to mount both front and rear lights on your child’s bike. It’s amazing how much good lights can increase visibility. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve planned to be home before dark, and we ended up staying at the park longer than expected and needed those lights. I’d recommend everybody put some basic lights on their bike and leave them there.