SRTS Topics

Transportation Programs

Bicycle Safety Tips for Youth

Prepare for the Ride
Follow the Rules of the Road
Sidewalk versus Street Riding
Activities for Kids
Child and Youth Bicycle Safety Information for Parents, Adults and Educators

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: Bicycles which are too big or small are difficult to control. When you stand over your bicycle, there should be at least 1 to 2 inches between you and the top tube of the bike frame. Similarly, ensure you can easily reach the handlebars and hand brakes, if your bike has them.
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 levers on wheels—should be closed firmly; and Check for take a brief ride in 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.

Back to Menu

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.

Go With the Traffic Flow. Ride on the right in the same direction as other vehicles. Go with the flow – not against it.
Obey All Traffic Laws. By California law, bicyclists have the same rights and the same responsibilities to follow the rules of the road as motorists. When you ride in the street, obey all traffic signs, signals, and lane markings.
Be Predictable. Ride in a straight line, not in and out of parked cars. Use hand signals to communicate your moves to others.
Look Before Turning. When turning left or right, always look behind you for a break in traffic, then signal before making the turn. 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 who have already entered a crosswalk.
Ride out of the “door zone” of parked cars. Ride 4 feet or more away from parked cars to avoid doors which may unexpectedly open in front of you. Also ride far enough away from the curb to anticipate cars pulling out without warning.

Back to Menu

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.

However, children less than 10 years old are not mature enough to make the decisions necessary to safely ride in the street.
Children less than 10 years old are generally better off riding on the sidewalk.

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 forbid bicycle riding on sidewalks.
Watch for vehicles coming out of or turning into driveways.
Stop at corners of sidewalks and streets to look for cars and to make sure the drivers see you before crossing.
Enter a street at a corner and not between parked cars.
Alert pedestrians that you are near by saying, “Excuse me,” or, “Passing on your left,” or use a bell or horn.

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

Back to Menu

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

Child and Youth Bicycle Safety Information 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

Back to Menu

Adult Bicycle Safety

Safe Routes to School Maps

Program Contact

Saskia Lucas

Program Specialist, Transportation Group
Phone: 831-426-5925 x129
Fax: 831-423-3895
Email