The 6 Best Tips for Keeping Your Young Kids Safe On Bike Rides
This article will teach you how to keep your kids safe while biking. We’ll discuss the importance of bike helmets, safety gear, and other safety tips that can help keep them safe on their rides while being active. All parents want to do what they can to protect their children, and we must give our kids the tools they need for a safer ride! Many of these accessories also make great 8 year old boy gifts!
1. Always Wear a Helmet
Helmets are a must for your child when they’re on their bike. The helmet must fit properly so it will do its job of protecting them if there is an accident or fall. If you have questions about finding the right fit, visit your local bicycle shop and ask one of the employees to help you measure your kid’s head size – be sure to bring them with you!
If possible, kids should wear more than just a basic helmet because these helmets are designed for lower impact falls which will not prevent injury during higher-impact events like crashes. Remind children only to wear certified safety gear; this way, we can ensure that our kids’ gear will protect them in any situation. Helmets aren’t always enough to keep our kids safe, so make sure that they wear bright clothing with reflective features or even vests to help drivers see them.
2. Follow the Rules of the Road
Children should be taught the road rules regardless of whether they’re on a bike or in a car. Teach them to always walk their bikes across busy intersections and teach everyone in your family about correct hand signals when using any transportation (bike, bus, subway).
Encourage children to use sidewalks until they are old enough to ride with traffic; this helps ensure that drivers see them because bikers aren’t sharing space with cars as pedestrians do. If you choose not to allow your child(ren) to share the sidewalk with other pedestrians (and we understand why), teach them how and where it is safe for kids without headphones or smart devices in tow – cell phones can cause a distraction while biking!
3. Wear Reflective Clothing So Drivers Can See You At Night
It’s important to teach kids about wearing reflective clothing on their bike rides. Kids should make sure that they always wear bright-colored clothes (preferably blaze orange) so drivers can see them at night and during other low visibility times like foggy weather or early mornings.
We also encourage parents to buy bikes with lights attached or add bike wheel lights; this way, the child has some light source if it starts getting dark while riding home from school, practice, etc. If children are biking in groups at night, please ensure that everyone has light because not everyone will be visible without proper lighting devices!
4. Ride With Traffic – Never Against it!
Children should always ride their bikes with traffic and not be against it. This can be a difficult concept for younger children who may want to go the opposite direction of the cars, but they need to understand that this is extremely dangerous!
Kids also need to know how important hand signals are when biking; sometimes, we’ll forget these rules while riding if we’re only using them in one direction (like walking our kids across busy intersections). Teach your family about giving consistent hand signals so drivers know whether you intend to turn left/right or stop at an upcoming intersection. Remind everyone in your household that bikers must obey all signs and lights like drivers do – even if no one else does!
5. Carry Identification
In case of an emergency, while biking on the road, children must carry some identification with them. This way, emergency responders will contact their parents immediately to get more information about their medical conditions and any medication they need during recovery. If a child gets knocked unconscious while riding their bike, this can help medical professionals do everything possible to ensure they have a speedy recovery!
6. Keep Your Hands On The Handlebars And Both Feet on Pedals At All Times
It’s important to teach children that they must keep their hands on the handlebars and both feet on pedals at all times while riding. Remind them not to walk around or talk with friends while biking, especially if it is a group ride! This can be distracting for everyone involved because bikers aren’t able to focus on following traffic laws and paying attention to upcoming turns/intersections – pedestrians are also less visible when standing up versus being seated!
Please make sure your kids understand why this rule is crucial; otherwise, they may forget how dangerous it can be for themselves and others nearby. We want our children biking safely without any distractions of extra passengers hanging onto the bike itself or balancing too far back from the seat during rides!
Final Thoughts
With these six tips, you should be able to keep your 8 year old kids safe on their bike rides. Remember that it is important for children to wear helmets while riding bikes and not just adults and always watch out for cars when crossing the street with a bicycle. Finally, make sure you and your children can be seen by drivers by using either reflective gear or having some type of wheel lights on your bike. Kids can get hurt easily if parents don’t pay attention, so make sure you do so at all times!
