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Parents
Cycle safety
Young people aged 11 to 15 are more likely to be killed or seriously injured as a pedestrian or cyclist than any other age group. Encourage your child to enjoy cycling safely by following these suggestions.
Keep talking
As a parent the best thing you can do to help your child learn about road safety is to keep talking to them about it. You can:
- point out people who are endangering themselves
- stress the need to concentrate and be careful all the time
- warn of accidents and distractions
- practice judging speed and distance with your child
- stress that your child should not blindly follow others - into the road or any situation
The bike
Make sure your child's bike is the right size and well maintained:
- it's an offence to ride at night without a front white light, back red light and back red reflector
- remind your child that if they have a dynamo on their bike the lights will go out when they stop
- mark the bicycle frame with your postcode
- remind your child to always use a cycle lock
Clothing
There are items of clothing and equipment your child can use to help them keep safe:
- get your child to wear reflective clothing - it even helps in daylight if visibility is bad
- encourage your child to use a correctly fitted helmet
Teenagers are the age group most likely to not wear helmets. On average half of the road injuries received by cyclists are to the face and the head.
Out and about
Once your child is ready to start cycling it is helpful to:
- see if a cycling course is available at their school or through your local council road safety officer
- encourage them to use special cycle routes, paths and lanes if they are available
- advise them to not use mobile phones or personal stereos when cycling - distractions cause accidents
- point out cycle racks and encourage your child to use them
Getting to school safely
Your local council can help you find the safest routes for your child to walk or cycle to their school. Click on the link below to find your local council and get advice on safe and environmentally friendly school travel in your area.
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