keep your children safe while riding

THE IMPORTANCE OF BICYCLE SAFETY: SOME SIMPLE TIPS EVERYONE SHOULD KNOW

With school out and summer weather encouraging children to play outside, bicycles become a preferred daily transportation mode for children around neighborhood streets.  While this activity provides endless hours of enjoyment and great exercise for children, many people may not understand some of the potential dangers that bicycles pose.  Without proper instruction and safety precautions, bicycle riders may be involved in serious, cycling accidents.

May is National Bike Safety Month, and it provides an opportunity for local communities to promote bicycling as an environmentally-friendly transportation, personal wellness exercise vehicle, and fun recreational activity.

According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and the American College of Emergency Physicians, in 2005, 782 bicyclists were killed in accidents with motor vehicles; 18% were riders younger than 16 years old and 85% were not wearing helmets.  Annually, almost 540,000 people are treated in emergency departments for bicycle-related injuries.  In the event of an accident, wearing a bike helmet reduces the risk of serious head injuries by 85%, but unfortunately, estimates on helmet usage suggest that less than 25% of bicyclists wear a helmet when riding.  Universal helmet use by children ages four to 15 would prevent 39,000 to 45,000 head injuries, 55,000 scalp and face injuries and nearly 150 deaths annually.

The most common serious injury we see from bicycle accidents is head injury," said Dr. John Williams, Emergency Medical Physician at Children's Hospital.  "And helmet use can prevent almost all of this from happening.  But parents need to set the example.  No matter where the child is riding - whether in the yard or in the street-they need a helmet on."

Children's Hospital offers the following tips to help children be safer bicycle riders.

• ALWAYS WEAR A HELMET. Think of a bicycle helmet as a necessity, not an accessory. And remember, in the state of Tennessee, it is a law that all children under the age of 12 must wear a helmet while riding a bike.
• Observe all traffic laws and signals, and ride near a curb in the same direction of traffic.
• Stop and look both directions before entering a street.
• Use correct hand signals.
• Yield to the right-of-way to pedestrians.
• Ensure that your bike is the appropriate size, has good working brakes and undergoes regular maintenance work.
• When riding at night, put reflective tape on clothing or wear reflective vests or jackets.
• Avoid riding in wet weather, and walk bikes across intersections.
• Never ride double.

Adults can be great role models by following the above tips for themselves and teaching all the children in their lives to follow these same guidelines.