Riding bicycle is a
healthy and fun way to exercise. During these long holiday, one of the fun
activities that our children would love to engage in is riding their bicycle. Hence it is
important to remember that a bicycle is not only a toy but a vehicle and needs
to be ridden with care and safety.
Here are some cool and
basic safety tips you and your children should know before riding:
Safe Riding Tips
Before using your bicycle, make sure it is ready to ride. You should always inspect your bike to make sure all parts are secure and working properly.
Before using your bicycle, make sure it is ready to ride. You should always inspect your bike to make sure all parts are secure and working properly.
Remember to:
- Wear a Properly Fitted
Bicycle Helmet. Protect your brain, save your life.
- Check your bicycle
properly before riding. Inflate tires properly and check that brakes
work perfectly. Do a Quick Bicycle
Test; check your brakes and your wheels. Make sure that “quick
release” wheels are properly secured.
- See and Be Seen. Whether
daytime, dawn, dusk, or at night, you need to be seen by others. Wearing
white has not been shown to make you more visible. Rather, always wear
neon, fluorescent, or other bright colours when riding day or night. Also
wear something that reflects light, such as reflective tape or markings,
or flashing lights. Remember, just because you can see a driver doesn’t
mean the driver can see you.
- Control Your Bicycle. Always ride
with at least one hand on the handlebars.
- Stay Alert Keep a lookout for obstacles in your path.
- Obey all Traffic Laws & Lights
- Don’t
Get Distracted Don’t listen to music or talk on the
phone while riding.
- Watch for and Avoid
Road Hazards. Be on the lookout for hazards such as potholes,
broken glass, gravel, puddles, leaves, and dogs. All these hazards can
cause a crash. If you are riding with friends and you are in the lead,
yell out and point to the hazard to alert the riders behind you.
- Avoid Riding at Night. It is far more dangerous to ride at
night than during the day because you are harder for others to see. If you
have to ride at night, wear something that makes you more easily seen by
others.
- Look, Signal & Look Again Use hand signals to let drivers and
other bicyclists know where you’re going. Look and make eye contact. Don’t
assume drivers will stop.
Many bicycle-related
crashes resulting in injury or death are associated with the bicyclist’s
behaviour, including such things as not wearing a bicycle helmet, riding into a
street without stopping, turning left or swerving into traffic that is coming
from behind, running a stop sign, and riding the wrong way in traffic. To
maximize your safety, always wear a helmet AND follow the rules of the road.
Bicycle Safety for Children
The safest place for children
riding bicycle is on the street and sidewalks, where bicycles are expected to
stay safe with little or no traffic of motorist.
- Always wear a helmet and fasten it before riding.
- Ride on the right hand side of the road.
- Ride with friends.
- Always ensure that your tires have air in them.
- For riding on a sidewalk:
- Watch for vehicles coming out of or turning
into driveways.
- Stop at corners of sidewalks and streets to
look for cars and to make sure the drivers see you before crossing.
- Enter a street at a corner and not between
parked cars. Alert pedestrians that you are near by saying, “Excuse me,”
or, “Passing on your left,” or use a bell or horn.
Practicing
these safe riding tips should guarantee you and your children a safe and
incident-free riding activities during this holiday.
Sources:
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