As a parent you are constantly concerned with the safety of your child, including safety on the bicycle . Both their experience in traffic and their size (which makes them easy to spot) make children one of the weakest road users.
To allow your child to cycle as safely as possible, good preparation is very important. This includes good traffic education and road-safe cycling equipment. Children's bicycle safety is very necessary for parents, children, but also for the rest of the traffic.
Learn to cycle safely
Good preparation is crucial to allow your child to cycle as safely as possible. This consists of having sufficient traffic knowledge and a positive attitude. In addition, your child should have a good example of how to behave in traffic. In this way you prepare your child well to act independently as a road user, although this does take some time and patience!
Here are some tips:
- Start practicing in a safe and quiet area with little to no traffic. This could be a parking lot, dead end street or driveway. Once you are both confident, you can hit the open road.
- Don't help your child too much. Teach your child to cycle independently by letting them use the pedals to move forward. In addition, your child should also practice braking, stopping and getting on and off so that they feel more confident.
- Because children naturally take you as an example, it is important that you pay close attention to the rules yourself.
- It is important to tell what is coming while cycling, especially because your child will have to process a lot of stimuli. For example, let them know ahead of time when they need to slow down, because an intersection is coming up in a few meters.
- As a parent, drive to the left of your child, so that your child cycles on the safest side of the street. You can also choose to cycle behind your child, this way your child has a clear overview and can determine the pace themselves.
Is your child going from primary to secondary school? Read here for more tips!
Cycling equipment
Now that your child can move safely in traffic, it is still very important that your child has good cycling equipment. Certainly for beginners, but also for more advanced cyclists. This can be done with, for example, a helmet, bicycle lights, but also with the right size bicycle . In addition, it is also crucial that you regularly check the lights and brakes of the children's bicycle!
How do you choose a suitable helmet?
In the Netherlands it is not mandatory to wear a bicycle helmet while cycling, although it can be very useful. A bicycle helmet can prevent serious head injuries in the event of accidents, provided it fits properly and is worn correctly.
Firstly, it is important that the bicycle helmet meets the general safety standards, it is then marked with the quality mark EN 1078 or N EN-EN 1080.
You can browse our helmets here.
Second, a properly fitted helmet covers the child's forehead to about three inches above the eyebrows. In addition, the back of the head should be covered approximately to the beginning of the neck. As for the strap, it is important that the helmet is secure but not too tight. The strap that is attached under the chin should ensure that the helmet does not slide as soon as your child moves its head.
Do not buy a helmet that is too large for your child to grow into, because a loose-fitting helmet cannot guarantee safety!
All in all, cycling is a relaxing and enjoyable activity, provided it is done safely. This way you can wave your child goodbye with peace of mind, as long as your child is well prepared.
