Learning to ride a bicycle, scooter or skateboard is a big milestone for a child, but the freedom of wheels come with pitfalls that can be hard for children to see. Safety is an essential part of teaching them to ride.
Sure, back in your day, helmets may not have been a big deal. But there were also a lot less cars on the road, and far fewer distractions for those drivers. Safety goes far beyond just teaching your child to wear a helmet. Just like driving a car, they also need to be alert and aware of their surroundings.
Dr. James Wayne Jr. is one of the many pediatric specialists at Ochsner Baton Rouge. “If it has wheels and they don’t ride it inside,” Dr. Wayne says, “the kid needs to wear a helmet!” Dr. Wayne shares some tips to help keep children safer when they’re out and about.
Making sure your child understands basic road safety puts them at a lower risk for injuries. If you have younger children, be sure to always monitor them when they are riding and have older children check in with you if they are out on their own. Preparing your child for safe riding is a great way to teach them about responsibility, basic traffic laws, and the importance of exercise.
1. Have the right gear and wear it.
A helmet can protect your child’s head during an accident and in many cases prevent serious injuries and death. Helmets should fit snuggly, cover all areas of the head, and stay in place while the child is moving. Even if your child is just pedaling around the cul-de-sac or off-road in a local park, helmets are necessary. Elbow and knee pads drastically reduce the severity of injuries. If they grumble, show them photos of pro-riders in their protective gear—safety is cool!
2. Light up the night.
Any time they are riding at night, be sure it is in a well-lit area with little to no traffic. Have your child wear light-reflective clothing or tape. Turn on bike lights, headlights, or helmet lights. Accompany your child at night since drivers may not always be paying attention to cyclists.
3. Learn and use hand signals.
Children need to know basic hand signals when they ride near the street. This ensures cars, pedestrians, and other cyclists know where they intend to go, decreasing accidents.
4. Maintain your wheels.
Brakes: Over time, bike brakes wear down and work less effectively. Before your child rides perform a visual inspection of the brakes to make sure all the components are there. With a bicycle or scooter, have your child walk with it and squeeze the brake levers to make sure they are working. If brakes are less responsive than usual, it may need to be adjusted and inspected by a professional.
Tires:Riding with flat tires is bad for the bike and puts your child more at risk for falling. Each time before your child rides a bike or scooter, teach them to check the tires. Tires should feel firm and not have any holes in them that allow air to escape. If there are no holes, but the tires feel flat, use a pump to add some air until they are firm again.
Seat: As your child grows, you will need to re-adjust the seat accordingly. To check it, have them move one pedal all the way down so their leg is extended. If they cannot get to the bottom of the pedal stroke, the seat is too tall and needs to be lowered. If they easily press the pedal to the bottom, but if their legs are overly bent and feel uncomfortable, the seat is too low and needs to be raised.
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