Bike-Related Injuries are Preventable at Any Age
Young children are five times more likely to be injured in a bicycle crash than riders age 15 or older. More than 280,000 kids with bicycle-related injuries visit an emergency room each year.
As the only Level I pediatric trauma center in South Texas, we treat many of these kinds of traumatic injuries. Even among adults, bike fatalities in Texas are the third-highest in the nation.
Bike Safety and Helmet Use Recommendations
Bike riding is a great outlet for fun and exercise at any age as long as you use caution.
Review these tips before your next ride and teach your kids how to stay safe on the road.
Check Bikes Before Each Ride
All riders need a properly sized bike, preferably equipped with a horn or a bell for young riders.
Once you have chosen the right bike, regularly perform this seven-point inspection on your kids’ bikes and your own:
- Brakes – smooth, responsive
- Chain – oiled, tight
- Handlebars – secure on each side
- Seat – fixed in place
- Front/rear reflectors – clean, no cracks
- Tires – no cuts or cracks
- Wheels – no loose or broken spokes
Choose a Helmet that Fits
Make sure your child’s helmet fits and that your child knows how to put it on correctly. A helmet should sit on top of the head in a level position and should not rock forward, backward or side to side. The helmet straps should be buckled but not fit too tightly.
Wearing a helmet reduces kids’ risk of severe brain injury by 88%. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report only 15% of children use helmets all or most of the time while cycling. Only 19% of adults wear a helmet when they ride. Lead by example and make sure you and your child wear bright, well-ventilated helmets on every ride.
Be Safe Around Traffic
If you and your children ride when it’s dark – either morning or night – you can help improve motorists’ ability to see you by doing the following:
Be Safe, Be Seen
- Wear white or bright colors and reflective materials.
- Use front lights, helmet lights, blinkers and/or reflectors.
Obey Traffic Rules
- Make eye contact with drivers at intersections before crossing.
- Ride with traffic, not against it.
- Stay as far to the right as possible.
- Learn and use appropriate hand signals.
- Obey traffic signals.
- Stop and look left, right and left again before entering a street or crossing an intersection.
- Look behind and yield to oncoming traffic before turning left.
- Remember, your children are watching you, so be a good example!