Back to School Bicycle Safety Tips

Summer break will be over in a few weeks and your child may be riding to school on their bicycle for the first-time. There are a few tips and practices that you and your child can do to help ensure that their trip to school and back is safer and accident free.


You can help prepare your child for a safer ride by:

•Making sure that their helmet fits properly. The rule is that the front of their helmet should sit as low as two finger widths above their eyebrow.

•Making sure that they are riding a bike that is correct for their size.

•Making sure that their bike has a red reflector on the back and a white light on front to help drivers see them when visibility is low.

•Reminding them to be extra careful around driveways, intersections and park vehicles.

•Reminding them to follow the rules of the road and not to take any unnecessary risks.

•Planning out a main route and alternative route to and from school for your child to take. Additionally, you can ride the route with them a few times prior to school starting to help them feel more comfortable with road traffic and their surroundings.

Your child can prepare for a safer ride by:

•Checking their bike before they ride to make sure that their chain is okay, they have air in their tires and that their brakes are working.

•Putting their helmet on before they ride.

•Making sure they ride with the flow of traffic and are always using their eyes and ears to check for possible road dangers.

•Crossing the road at intersections after checking right and left and then walking their bike across when it is safe to do so.

•Always assuming that drivers cannot see them, therefore they need to be extra cautious.

•Stay away from strangers and never accept a ride or anything that they may try to give them. They should also report the incident to their parent / guardian and a teacher.

•Finding a buddy or two to ride with when possible.