News & Press Releases

Bicycle Riding and Bicycle Safety Go Hand in Hand

Due to the skyrocketing price of oil, there has been renewed interest in pedaling to work and school, to run errands, and to just get out and enjoy riding a bicycle in the great outdoors. Correspondingly, we’re seeing more kids riding their bikes to school. So we would like to take this opportunity to emphasize bicycle safety to everyone in our school community. Bike riding should be fun, but it also calls for safety consciousness that can prevent injury or even save lives. Parents’ clear understanding of what’s at stake and what’s involved is the first line of defense in doing just that.

What’s at Stake:

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), “In 2006, 773 bicyclists were killed and an additional 44,000 were injured in traffic crashes. Children 14 and younger accounted for 98 of those fatalities (13%), making this one of the most frequent causes of injury-related death for young children.”

NHTSA reports that bicycle helmets are nearly “88 percent effective in mitigating head and brain injuries,” overwhelmingly demonstrating the efficacy of helmets as the number one preventative safety measure to reduce head injuries and fatalities involving bicycle crashes. NHTSA indicates that unfortunately, less than 25 percent of all bicyclists wear helmets. Parents should keep in mind that hindsight is of no use when a helmet-less child is injured or killed in a bicycle crash involving a head injury that, sadly, might have been prevented.

What’s Involved:

Indiana is one of 14 states that do not have state or local bicycle helmet laws, for adults or children. However, this doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t take the proper precautions to ensure that our young bicycle riders are safety conscious when it comes to riding. Following are some essential bicycle safety measures to teach your children:

1. Always wear a helmet when riding a bike, and be sure to secure the chin strap!

2. Wear bright-colored clothing when biking to increase your visibility for drivers.

3. When riding after dark, be sure your bike is equipped with reflectors and has lights for both front and rear visibility, and that you’re wearing reflective clothing.

4. Obey all the rules of the road that drivers are bound by.

5. Ride the same direction as traffic – on the right side of the road.

6. Constantly stay aware of traffic conditions.

7. Dismount and walk your bike at the crosswalk of busy intersections.

8. Make sure your bicycle is in good working order – tuned up, with properly inflated tires.

9. Always carry identification when biking.

10. Ride with friends or family whenever possible; it’s safer – and more fun!

11. Protect your bike when not riding by locking it.

Here at the ICS, we will continue to strongly encourage kids to wear bike helmets and practice safe bicycle riding. Parents, please join us in making sure that students travel safely when riding their bicycles to school.

For more information about bicycle safety, go to: www.nhtsa.dot.gov and www.mcgruff.org. To learn more about bicycle riding laws in Indiana (Indiana Code 9-21-11), visit www.state.in.us.

Posted Mon Aug 11 at 11:41 am