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As the father of a three year old, I’m currently teaching my son to ride his first bicycle with training wheels. It is a fun and exciting process for both of us. I shot a quick video to share some important bicycle safety tips for children, which are also summarized below.

1. Always make sure your kids have a bike helmet, and a helmet that fits properly. Kids grow fast, sometimes it seems way too fast, and they are likely to need a new helmet more often than we might guess.
2. Avoid kids riding distracted. Don’t let kids use headphones, ear buds (even one ear bud), or use their phones while riding.
3. Ride with your children. Teach them the rules of the road. Teach them safety. Set a great example. Avoid falling into the “do as I say and not as I do” dynamic. Kids are always watching and learning. Model safety practices.
4. Use bike lanes when available. In some jurisdictions, young children can ride on sidewalks. If these aren’t available, teach kids to ride bicycles with the flow of traffic.
5. Teach kids to always be watching for cars, not only when approaching intersections, but also when approaching driveways. It’s possible someone could be in a driveway and back up unexpectedly. This is an even bigger risk with increasingly widespread adoption of silent electric vehicles.
6. Don’t let your kids ride at dusk and after dark. Most of the serious bicycle vs. car accidents happen between 6 and 9 p.m.

I hope these tips are helpful.

Stay safe out there.