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Safe cycling
Why do children get hurt cycling?
Children are most likely to get hurt because they are just learning to ride, going too fast, ride near cars and traffic or do not use safety gear.
What kinds of injuries happen to children while cycling?
The most common injury is a broken bone. The most serious injuries are those involving the head and brain. Even seemingly minor head injuries may cause permanent brain damage.
Why is wearing a bike helmet important?
A properly fitted helmet helps protect your child's brain in a crash or fall. Head injuries are a leading cause of serious injury and death to kids on bicycles. A head injury can permanently change the way a child walks, talks, plays, and thinks. The human skull is just one centimeter thick. A properly fitted and correctly worn bike helmet can cut the risk of serious head injury by up to 85 per cent. This means four out of five brain injuries could be prevented, if every cyclist wore a helmet.
Why should parents wear bike helmets?
You are your child's best role model. Everyone should wear a helmet when they ride.
Does it help if children are more visible on the road?
Reflective materials such as florescent coloured clothing and accessories, as well as lights, may improve the visibility of children when they are riding on the roads. Drivers can see children better if they are using reflective materials.
What is a safe age for children to ride their bicycle on the road?
Children under the age of 10 should not ride their bikes on the road. They do not have the physical and thinking skills to handle their bikes in traffic. Children over the age of 10 need practice before they can ride on the road.
What can you do when you drive to make the roads safer for children on bicycles?
If drivers slow down, they reduce the chance of children being injured on the road. When drivers slow down to speeds between 30 and 40 km/h, injuries to children on bicycles are reduced by 48 per cent.
Is legislation effective at reducing injuries for children?
Legislation requiring cyclists to wear helmets has been shown to be highly effective in having more children and adults wear helmets. If more children wear helmets, there will be fewer injuries.
