Bike Safety

Restrict biking to sidewalks or bike paths until age 10 or until your child demonstrates the skill and judgment to be safe in traffic.

To protect your child from injuries, be sure your child:

. Wears a bike helmet approved by the CPSC.
. Has a helmet that fits snugly, covers the top part of the forehead and does not slide.
. Has a bike that is the right size, in good repair, and is equipped with a light or front reflector, rear reflector and horn.
. Knows and uses hand signals for turning left and right and stopping.
. Rides on the right side of the road, with traffic.
. Obeys traffic signs and signals and knows to stop and look left-right-left before entering an intersection or street, whether or not there is a stop sign.
. Wears brightly colored clothing, has shoelaces securely tied, and avoids clothing that could get caught in bike wheels.
. Does not ride at night or in bad weather.
. Never bikes while wearing headphones.
. Never rides double.

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Information about Bike Safety was graciously shared by Dr. Patricia Keener, author of Caring for Kids: Useful Information & Hard-to-find Facts About Child Health and Development , and Riley Hospital for Children.