Bike Safety Tips

Children’s Hospital and Safe Kids of the Greater Knox Area offer the following tips to help children be safer bicycle riders: 

• ALWAYS WEAR A HELMET. Think of a bicycle helmet as a necessity, not as an accessory. The single most effective safety device available to reduce head injury and death from bicycle crashes is a helmet. And remember, in the state of Tennessee, it is a law that all children under the age of 16 must wear a helmet while riding a bike.
• Helmet fit is important. The helmet should be comfortable and snug, but not too tight. It should be centered on top of the head in a level position, and it should not rock forward or backward or side-to-side. The helmet straps must always be buckled snugly against the chin.
• Observe all traffic laws and signals, stopping at all stop signs and stoplights, and ride near a curb in the same direction of traffic, staying as far to the right as possible.
• Stop and look left, right, then left again before entering a street or crossing an intersection. Look back and yield to traffic coming from behind before turning left.
• Use correct hand signals.
• Yield the right-of-way to pedestrians.
• Make sure the bicycle is the right size for the child, not one he/she will grow into. When sitting on the seat, the child’s feet should touch the ground. Make sure the reflectors are secure, the brakes work properly and tires are tightly secured and properly inflated.
• When riding in early morning or in the evening, put reflective tape on clothing or wear reflective vests or jackets.
• Make sure the reflectors are secure, the brakes work properly and tires are tightly secured and properly inflated.
• Avoid riding in wet weather and at night and always walk bikes across intersections.
• Never ride double.