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Injury Prevention
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Children need a lot of practice to develop the skills and decision-making to safely ride a bicycle.
Safety tips for parents and children
 Teach children how to:
- Signal before turning and control speed
- Stop, look and listen before going on to a road
- Follow the rules of the road
- Avoid riding where there are pedestrians and vehicles
- Stop, look and listen before coming out of a driveway
- Watch for cars entering and exiting a driveway
Make sure children wear the safety equipment including:
- A certified bike helmet
- Shoes that cover their toes
 Do a safety check of the bicycle before children ride.
- Make sure that your child's bicycle is the right size and matched according to their skill level. When children learn how to ride a bicycle, they should be able to have their feet on the ground or their toes touching the ground when sitting on the seat
- Help children check that the brakes are working, the tires have air, and the chain is in place
- Equip the bike with safety equipment. The law (PDF) requires a bell or horn, lights (when riding at night), reflector and reflective tape
Make sure children use their bicycle safely:
- Children age 10 and under should not ride their bicycles on the road. Children over 10 years of age need a lot of supervised practice and training before riding on the road.
- Avoid wearing headphones or using cell phones while riding a bike.
- Bicycle (away from traffic) in safe places like parks and school yards, where allowed.
- Stop at intersections and look all ways for cars.
- Always walk a bicycle across a street intersection, instead of riding it. It is illegal and dangerous to ride through cross walks.
- Ride on smooth, dry and paved surfaces.
- Ride with only one person per bike
- Teach children to never grab onto a moving car or other vehicle.
- Consider providing lessons for your child to increase their skill and knowledge
- Be a good role model and wear a helmet. Children copy what adults do.
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