The following advice from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration should be an important component of your child's introduction to bike riding:
- A kid-size bike is right. A big bike "to grow into" is not easy to learn on or to ride safely. A child should be able to sit on the seat with knees straight and feet flat on the ground. Also make sure the child can straddle the bike with at least one or two inches between the top bar and the child's crotch.
- Insist on bike helmet use.
A brain injury cannot be cured! Bike helmets can reduce the risk of head injury by 85 percent when worn correctly. Make it clear to your child that she/he must wear a helmet on every ride. It is also important to wear a helmet when doing other sports, like in-line skating and skateboarding.
Selecting and Fitting a Bike Helmet - Every new helmet must meet the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) Standard and display a label stating that it meets the standard. On older helmets, look for a CPSC , ASTM, ANSI, or Snell sticker inside the helmet.
- Use foam pads inside to fit the helmet snugly so it doesn't move on the head.
- Fit the helmet so the front is two finger widths above the eyebrows. Teach your child to wear his/her helmet the correct way.
- Adjust the two side straps so they meet in a "V" right under each ear.
- Adjust the chin strap snugly under the chin. Make it tight enough so the helmet pulls down when the child opens his mouth.
- Check often to make sure straps stay snug and the helmet stays level on the head.
Encourage Your Child to Wear His/Her Helmet - Let your child help choose the helmet.
- Explain that a helmet is "just part of the gear," as it is with football, race car driving, or hockey.
- Praise your child for wearing his/her helmet.
- Talk to other parents, so that all neighborhood families encourage the same safety rules.
- Be a role model and wear your bike helmet.
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