Many parents encourage the idea of their children bicycling to school. After all, bicycling is a good form of exercise and allows the child to get to school relatively safely. Bicycling is also more environmentally friendly than driving a car. However, to help prevent Miami Beach bicycle accidents, you need to review a few safety tips for back to school:
1) Make sure your child has at least one helmet they really like and are willing to use all the time. Your child is more likely to wear helmet if they have a helmet that they love. Help your child find a fun helmet that they actually enjoy wearing. Even if it costs little bit more, it is worth it if your child is actually willing to wear it. Make sure that your child wears their helmet each time that they ride their bike. According to many experts helmets can reduce the risk of Miami Beach head injuries by up to 80%.
2) Build your child’s safety knowledge and bicycle skills by going on family bike outings. Going out on family bicycle trips can help you teach your child will bicycle safety rules, and allows you to see how safe your child is on their bicycle.
3) Review your child’s route. Ride with your child to their school. Review the route that your child will take on their bicycle. Are there busy intersections? Is it a traffic heavy area? Look for routes that are relatively safe.
4) Have your child stop their bike in a safe zone. Where your child parks their bike and stops their bike can be as important as what route they take to school. In many cases, Miami Beach car accidents involving the school run occur near the school, where there is a great deal of traffic, due to parents dropping their children off. Locate the bicycle racks at your child’s school and make sure that your child knows where to hop off their bike and how to secure their bike safely.
5) Make sure your child is highly visible when on their bike. Reflective stickers, a highly visible helmet, lights, and light colors can help make your child more visible to motorists. In many cases, Miami Beach traffic accidents involving bicycles occur because a motorist failed to see a bicyclist. Children on bicycles can be harder to spot then adults, simply due to their smaller size. Therefore, making them as visible as possible becomes very important.
6) Keep your child from riding distracted. Distracted bicycling can easily lead to a Miami Beach bicycle accident. Ensure that your child is not trying to text or listen to music while riding their bike. Your child’s entire focus should be on the bicycle route and on staying safe.
If you or your child have been injured in a Miami Beach bicycle accident, contact the Flaxman Law Group in order to discuss your situation with a personal injury attorney. Your initial consultation is free of charge and comes with no obligation, giving you a chance to get the facts about your rights and options at no risk.