Important bike safety tips for kids

Children should get at least 60 minutes of physical activity a day, and biking is a great way to meet that goal.

However, there are some risks associated with biking for parents to consider.  

After football, biking is the second most frequent sport and recreational activity that leads to emergency department visits in children. 

In the United States, around 100 children die each year from injuries sustained during bike rides.

Bike injuries can involve a wide range of body parts, including your child’s head, brain, face, abdomen, groin, bones and skin.

How can you keep your kid safe on a bike?

There are many ways you can reduce your risk of bike injuries while still allowing your family to focus on having fun and enjoying the activity.

1. Wear helmets 

Children of all ages should always wear a bike helmet when riding all wheeled toys.  

One important way to encourage your children to wear helmets is to be a role model!  

Your child is less likely to wear a helmet if you don’t wear one.

Helmets must fit properly., keeping in mind:

• No more than two fingers above the eyebrows.
• Straps form a “V” under the ears.
• No more than one to two fingers can be placed between the chin and buckled strap. 

You should replace a helmet if the helmet gets any cracks, broken straps or if a crash has occurred while wearing that helmet.

2. Consider your child’s developmental stage

• Babies (0-12 months)
• Little kids (1-4 years)
• Big kids (5-9 years)
• Pre-teens (10-14 years)
• Teens (15-19 years)
• Kids with special needs

Other key ways to stay safe include: 

• not riding bikes at night
• Ride with traffic, not against it
• Using hand signals when passing cars or other bikers or people
• Obeying traffic signs
• Using designated bike lanes