Teaching Children Safe Bicycle Riding Habits Could Save a Life

Each year, thousands of individuals are killed or injured in bicycle accidents nationwide. On average, Washington, D.C., experiences nearly 330 bike injury crashes annually. A significant number of these accidents involve children under the age of 14. In some cases, these accidents are caused when riders make dangerous choices. But, in most instances these bike accidents happen when a driver is negligent behind the wheel. In either instance, however, one thing is certain. If your child makes safe choices while riding a bike, he or she will be more likely to enjoy a safe, accident-free experience.

Rules For Riding On The Road

Riding on the road can be safe. Talk with your children about being vigilant. It is important to look around frequently to be aware of vehicles and their proximities. When riding in the road, kids should follow the regular rules of the road.

• Ride in the same direction as traffic and stay near the edge of the road.
• Learn the hand signals for turning right and left.
• Don’t weave around in the middle of the street.
• Always make eye contact with drivers on the road. This will ensure that both drivers and riders can safely see each other when sharing the road. Taking a few extra moments to pause and look around could save a lifetime of dealing with injuries, recovery, and financial burdens.

Being careless while riding can put cyclists and motorists in danger of getting into serious accidents.

If you have to ride on the sidewalk, remember this:

• Pedestrians have the right of way on the sidewalk. Cyclists need to allow plenty of room for others walking by.
• When crossing the street at an intersection, get off the bike and walk it across the street in the crosswalk.

In the event that your child is involved in an unfortunate biking accident, it’s important to know whom to turn to for help and advise. At Lewis & Tompkins, we’re equipped to answer even your toughest of bicycle accident questions. We also have a free Personal Accident Report app that you can download today that will give you easy access to help document all of the important information needed after an injury accident happens. Check it out and let us know what you think.