Bicycle Safety

Riding a bicycle is a great way for your child to get exercise and enjoy the outdoors. However, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, over 25,000 children are treated in emergency departments for traumatic brain injuries every year.

Wearing a bicycle helmet can reduce the risk of these kinds of life-threatening injuries—up to 85 percent. Learn more about how to help your child stay safe while riding a bike or other wheeled object by exploring the tips below.

Buying, wearing and caring for a bike helmet

• Try on several helmets for the best fit. Look for an CPSC, ASTM or SNELL approval sticker.
• Make sure the front of the helmet is in fact the front.
• Wear the helmet flat and low on the forehead, just above the eyebrows. It should not tilt back.
• Secure the straps so they form a “Y” directly under the ear.
• Keep straps snug, with no more than two fingers fitting between the chin and the strap.
• Ensure the helmet does not slide or wobble. Use additional pads that came with the helmet, if necessary.
• Avoid throwing the helmet on the ground, dragging it or using it as a hockey puck. These actions can create tiny cracks, rendering the helmet unfit.

Tips for parents

• Help kids understand that safety is important.
• Lead by example. Always wear your helmet and follow rules of the road when you ride.
• Start the helmet habit early— your child should wear a helmet when riding bike trailers, bike-mounted child seats, tricycles and scoot bikes. (But delay any riding until at least age one, when the neck is strong enough to support a helmet.)
• Teach the rules of the road for riding a bicycle the same way you would teach your child when driving a car: by riding along, explaining and practicing each rule.
• Ensure your child practices safe-riding skills before bicycling on the street.
• Recognize safe riding with lots of praise!