One of our main goals as a parent is to protect our children and keep them safe. It’s our job to teach lessons and to put them in safe environments. We start with things like car seats and childproofing our homes. This guide will cover how to keep your children safe on their bikes.

Everyone knows how important helmets can be when riding a bike. Unfortunately 130 children will die each year due to a head injury while riding their bikes. A helmet could have saved many of these children. 80% of these deaths were caused by head injuries and there are another 270,000 kids injured on bikes each year. Half of those injuries have caused brain trauma on these children.

Less than 25% of children under 14 years old actually wear helmets while riding. If every child wore a helmet, the brain trauma would be cut by close to 90%. Many cities due require children under the age of 16 to wear helmets, but I guess it’s not enforced well enough.

Clearly wearing a helmet helps, but wearing the right helmet can help even more. The size and fit of the helmet is extremely important. The wrong size helmet can completely defeat its purpose, so always make sure it fits properly.

Once a helmet has any sort of damage, it should immediately be replaced. Usually if there’s been an accident, the helmet will have some sort of damage. If you’re riding with your child, you should always set the example by wearing a helmet. To improve the chances your child wears the helmet, allow them to choose the helmet when shopping.

Besides wearing a helmet, there are several other ways to keep your child safe. Maintaining a bike is crucial. Making sure the chain is always oiled and functioning properly could help prevent an accident. Also making sure it’s the right size bike and that the seat is at the right height are important. If your child is standing next to the bike, they should have 1-2 inches between the top bar. The handle bars should also be level with the seat.

The last piece of the puzzle to a safe ride is a child who understands things to look out for. Things like pot holes and gravel roads can be dangerous. Then there should always be awareness for cars. If there are sidewalks, that’s the ideal riding situation however many sidewalks won’t allow bikers. If riding on the street, always make sure your children know to ride with traffic and to encourage the use of hand signals.

Every child should learn how to ride a bike as it’s a great way to get out and get some exercise. It’s also a great way to enjoy the outdoors or even ride around with the family. However, being safe can save a life so I hope this guide has helped you understand certain rules to follow to keeping your children safe!

Check out more of this writer’s articles about topics like ibert child bike seat and Schwinn bike trailer stroller.

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