SRTS Topics

Transportation Programs

Bicycle Safety Tips for Youth

Before You Ride
Youth Safety Education Resources
Prepare for the Ride
Follow the Rules of the Road
Sidewalk versus Street Riding
Activities for Kids
Youth Bicycle Safety Resources for Parents, Adults and Educators

Before You Ride

Parents are strongly advised to take time practicing safe and skillful bicycling with their child before allowing him or her to ride around cars. Children should be able to stop quickly, ride in a straight line, steer around obstacles and look back over their shoulder without swerving with confidence and ease.

Discuss with your child the rights and responsibilities of bicyclists. By law bicyclists must obey the same traffic laws as car drivers. Also discuss the common hazards and how to prevent crashes: cars entering and exiting driveways, car doors opening suddenly in your path, gravel in the road, etc. Perhaps most important is to teach your child to ride defensively, as if s/he were invisible.

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Youth Safety Education Resources

Educating Children and Teens (Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center)—includes detailed and age-specific tips and guidelines.
Bicycle Safety—What Every Parent Should Know (Active Living Resource Center)—very useful guide including youth bicyclist myths, common crashes and skill-building activities.

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Prepare for the Ride

Wear a Properly Fitted Bicycle Helmet: Helmets are required by California law for youth up to 18 years old, when bicycling, skateboarding and other sports with wheels. Protect your brain, save your life. For more information see the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration publication “Easy Steps to Properly Fit a Bicycle Helmet.”
Use a Correctly Sized Bicycle: Riding a correctly sized bicycle will be easier to ride and will give you greater control. When you stand over your bicycle, there should be at least 1 or 2 inches between you and the top tube of the bike frame. Similarly, ensure you can easily reach the handlebars and hand brakes.
Check Your Equipment: Before riding, do an ABC Quick Check: A for Air –inflate tires properly; B for Brakes –check that your brakes work; C for Chain –check that it is oiled, clean and running smoothly; Quick for Quick Release Lever on wheels –should be closed firmly; and Check for take a brief ride in a safe place to make sure everything is working properly.
Be Visible: Wear bright colors when you ride which make you stand out. At night, wear white or light colors and something that reflects light, such as reflective tape or markings. Remember, just because you can see a driver doesn’t mean the driver can see you.
Control Your Bicycle: Always ride with at least one hand on the handlebars. Carry books and other items in a bicycle bag mounted on a rack or a backpack.
Stay Alert at All Times: Use your eyes AND ears. Watch out for potholes, cracks, wet leaves, storm grates, railroad tracks, or anything that could make you lose control of your bike. If you are riding with friends and you are in the lead, yell out and point to the hazard to alert the riders behind you. You need your ears to hear traffic and avoid dangerous situations; don’t listen to music or talk on a cell phone while you ride.
Riding at Night: The general rule of thumb is that it is not recommended for children under 10 years old to ride at night. When riding in dark conditions, California law requires use of a front white light, red back reflector (a flashing light is preferable), as well as reflectors on the wheels and pedals. Also, wear white or light colors and something that reflects light, such as reflective tape or markings.

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Follow the Rules of the Road

Many youth bicycle crashes resulting in injury or death are associated with the bicyclist’s behavior, such as riding into a street without stopping and looking first, swerving into traffic that is coming from behind, running a stop sign, and riding the wrong way in traffic. To maximize your safety, always follow the rules of the road AND wear a helmet.

Ride With the Traffic Flow. Ride in the same direction as traffic going in your direction.
Obey All Traffic Laws. By law, bicyclists have the same rights and responsibilities as motorists. Follow the rules of the road and obey all traffic signs, signals, and lane markings.
Be Predictable. Ride in a straight line. Use hand signals to communicate your moves to others.
Look Before Turning. When turning left or right, always look behind you for traffic and signal before making the turn. At intersections, watch for left- or right-turning traffic.
Yield to Traffic When Appropriate. Almost always drivers on a smaller road must yield (wait) for traffic on a major or larger road. If there is no stop sign or traffic signal and you are coming from a smaller roadway (out of a driveway, from a sidewalk, a bike path, etc.), you must slow down and look to see if the way is clear before proceeding. This also means yielding to pedestrians in crosswalks.
Ride out of the “door zone” of parked cars. Ride 4 feet or more away from parked cars to ovoid doors which may unexpectedly open in front of you. Also, ride far enough away from the curb to anticipate cars pulling out without warning.

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Sidewalk versus Street Riding

Generally, the safest place for bicycle riding is on the street, where bicycles are expected to follow the same rules of the road as motorists and ride in the same direction as traffic.

However, children less than 10 years old are generally not mature enough to make the decisions necessary to safely ride in the street, especially without adult supervision.

For anyone riding on a sidewalk:

Check the law in your State or jurisdiction to make sure sidewalk riding is allowed. In the City of Santa Cruz, bicycling is not permitted on sidewalks in commercial districts. Local ordinances in the Cities of Watsonville and Capitola also prohibit bicycle riding on sidewalks.
Watch for vehicles coming in and out of driveways.
Stop to look for cars before crossing. It is also a good idea to make eye contact with drivers before crossing intersections.
Cross streets at corners and not from between parked cars.
Alert pedestrians before you pass, i.e. say “Passing on your left” or use a bell or horn. Also, slow down and give extra space when passing.

* Taken from National Highway Traffic Safety Administration website, with modifications.

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Activities for Kids

Rad Rider Comic Book - An entertaining educational activity which teaches safety techniques in a multi-media comic book story format. Fun for kids of all ages! http://www.radrider.com/comic-book/index.html

Youth Bicycle Safety Resources for Parents, Adults and Educators

Bicycle Safety - What Every Parent Should Know pamphlet—Active Living Resource Center
English Version
Spanish Version

League of American Bicyclists – Tips for parents, including important bicycling milestones and skills to teach http://www.bikeleague.org/resources/better/miscellaneous.php

Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center (PBIC) – Safety tips for parents including age specific advice on important bicycling milestones and skills to teach
http://www.bicyclinginfo.org/education/children.cfm

Kids Bicycle Safety—National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
Webpage http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/people/injury/pedbimot/bike/KidsandBikeSafetyWeb/
Printable version http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/people/injury/pedbimot/bike/KidsandBikeSafetyWeb/images/KidsandBikeSafety.pdf

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Adult Bicycle Safety

Safe Routes to School Maps

Program Contact

Kira Ticus

Program Assistant, Transportation Group
Phone: 831-426-5925 x124
Fax: 831-423-3895
Email