These days we are seeing many children with new bicycles walking in the street, in the park, in the countryside ... What is not so frequent is to see them well equipped, and yet, children who ride bicycles should wear a helmet.
Without going any further, my three-year-old daughter has received a bicycle as a star gift from Reyes, but it was not accompanied by the mandatory helmet, or other accessories that I think could well be included in a kit next to the bike.
Together the advice for the helmet to be adequate and protect children who ride bicycles, the committee for safety and prevention of childhood injuries of the Spanish Association of Pediatrics makes the following recommendations:
Tips for the safe movement of children by bicycle
- All children and teenagers should wear the helmet every time they ride a bicycle.
- Parents and other adults should wear a helmet whenever they use the bicycle. As we say so many times, they do what we do.
- Parents should set an example when promoting safe behaviors for their children, and explain why it is necessary to protect their head.
- The helmet must be worn correctly. To do this it must be approved and in perfect condition, be of the appropriate size and be properly placed.
- Regarding young children who go as passengers, remember that they must wear a properly adjusted helmet and travel in an additional approved seat. They must be between one and seven years old. Bicycle trailers that appear to be safer for the transport of children are not yet contemplated in Spanish regulations.
Parents and children should know all the essential aspects about the safe use of the bicycle. As we say, the use of the helmet is only one of the aspects of bicycle safety. Both parents and children must know and adopt other security measures how can they be:
- Wear appropriate, comfortable clothing.
- Bring a red rear reflector on the bike to be well visible.
- Wear reflective clothing at dusk as well as a white front and red rear light.
- Be familiar with traffic regulations on public roads. Hopefully nobody can think of being fully equipped but skipping the red lights, moving on the right ... Here is also important our example for a good road education.
Following all these tips we will make our children's bike ride safe, and if they are learning to ride, let's not forget the "bumpers" as are knee pads and elbow pads (and remind the Kings on upcoming occasions to avoid unexpected purchases).
