Riding to school is a great way to encourage an active and healthy lifestyle for your kids. As kids get older and start to ride solo, riding to school can also teach them independence. So, how do you ensure your kids are safe while they're riding?
Make sure their bike is safe to ride
The ABC Quick Check is an easy and effective way to ensure your little one's bike is in working order. If you find something of concern during the check, and you're not confident in making the repairs yourself, head to your local bike shop.
Wear proper clothes and protective equipment
Most importantly, they should wear a helmet. Make sure it fits properly, and this might sound silly, but make sure they like the style/color.
They're going to spend their day at school in the clothes they rode in. Just keep this in mind when you are shopping for school clothing. Try to find clothes that are geared towards an active lifestyle. Bright color clothing can also help make kids more visible while riding.
Protect the bike
Find a good lock that's easy to carry, but provides adequate protection. Most school bike racks are locked/secured, so you don't need to go overkill with a lock. Prioritize something that's light, easy to carry and easy for kids to operate. We've found that Combination Locks are the best for kids (they lose their keys).
Find a safe route
The fastest route might not be the safest. Find a route that avoids major streets and dangerous crossings. If crossing a major street is the only option, you may want to have your child walk their bike across the street.
You don't want to stress out about being late to school, so do a trial run over the weekend to check the route and figure out the time it takes to do the ride. This is also a great opportunity to slow down and explain signs and signals to your young rider.
Here's an example of a route to school from a local neighborhood. Google offers 3 different routes by bike. The route chosen is ideal because it avoids riding along a major street, and the major crossing is protected by a crosswalk that also has a crossing guard during the school drop off/pick up periods.
Teach the rules of the road
Start with the basics:
- Look both ways before you cross
- Stop at intersections
- Ride on the correct side of the road
- Be aware of your surroundings
They're not going to understand all of the rules right away. They might also just get excited and want to go fast. This is okay, but make sure that they know to listen to you. Ride close to them and keep an open eye for hazards.
As they get more experienced, explain road signs and signals. These take more time to learn, which is why it's good practice to just stop at every intersection until they understand when it's safe.
Give yourself plenty of time
Time on the bike should always be fun, and commuting by bike is no exception to that. To help avoid the stress of showing up late, leave with plenty of time to spare.