Kids and families get a lot of enjoyment from riding bicycles. It offers fun, freedom and exercise. Safe Kids Tulsa Area and Saint Francis Children's Hospital want you to be safe and bike smart.
Helmets Save Lives
Properly-fitted helmets can reduce the risk of head injuries by at least 45 percent – yet less than half of children 14 and under usually wear a bike helmet. A helmet should be comfortable and snug, but not too tight.
The Eyes, Ears and Mouth Check
Follow these three guidelines to ensure your child's helmet is just right.
Eyes check: Position the helmet on your head. Look up and you should see the bottom rim of the helmet. The rim should be one to two finger-widths above the eyebrows.
Ears check: Make sure the straps of the helmet form a “V” under your ears when buckled. The strap should be snug but comfortable.
Mouth check: Open your mouth as wide as you can. Do you feel the helmet hug your head? If not, tighten those straps and make sure the buckle is flat against your skin.
Rules of the Road
Before the rubber meets the road, make sure the bike's reflectors are secure, the brakes work properly, gears shift smoothly and tires are tightly secured and properly inflated. When riding, always model safe biking behavior and follow the bike safety guidelines below.
- Ride on the right side of the road, with traffic, not against. Stay as far to the right as possible.
- Use appropriate hand signals.
- Respect traffic signals, stopping at all stop signs and stop lights.
- Stop and look left, right and left again before entering a street or crossing an intersection. Look back and yield to traffic coming from behind before turning left.
- Children should ride their bicycles on the sidewalk until they are 10 years old.
- Don't ride a bicycle when it's dark, in the fog or in other low-visibility conditions.
- If riding at dusk, dawn or in the evening is unavoidable, use a light on your bike and make sure it has reflectors.
- Wear clothing and accessories that incorporate retro-reflective materials to improve your visibility to motorists.
The Ride is Just Beginning
Cycle through top safety tips from our national partners:
- Top Tips from Safe Kids Worldwide
- Printable Safe Riding Tips from the NHTSA
- Bike Safety Tips for Kids from KidsHealth
Learn More About Safe Kids Tulsa Area
Safe Kids Tulsa Area is the eastern Oklahoma affiliate of Safe Kids Worldwide – a global organization dedicated to preventing injuries in children. To learn more, or for information regarding membership to our coalition, please call our office at 918-494-SAFE (7233).