Page 79 - GreenBook

Under age 8, children should ride only with adult supervision and off the

street.

The decision to allow older children to ride in the street should depend
on traffic patterns, individual maturity, and an adequate knowledge and
ability to follow the rules of the road.

b. Children must be provided with helmets (approved by ANSI or Snell)

^ and taughtto wear them on every ride, starting when they get their first

bike.

c. The most important rules of the road for them to learn are:
^ • Ride with traffic.

• Stop and look both ways before entering the street.
• Stop at all intersections, marked and unmarked.
• Before turning, use hand signals and look all ways.

d. Children should be taught never to ride at dusk or in the dark. This is
extremely risky, even for adults. Your child should be told to call home

for a ride.

e. Children who ignore safety rules should be disciplined appropriately,
such as by temporarily denying the use of the bike, to establish the
significance of the misbehavior.

f. Children should learn how to keep their bikes in good repair, with the
parents checking tires, brakes, seat and handlebar height annually.

3. Choosing The Right Size Bicycle For Your Child:
A bicycle of the wrong size may cause your child to lose control and
become injured. Regulations of the Consumer Product Safety Commission
require that ANY BIKE MUST BE THE CORRECT SIZE FOR THE CHILD
FOR WHOM IT IS BOUGHT. To keep your child safe, we recommend the
following:

a. Do not push your child to ride a two-wheeled bike until he or she is
ready, at about age five or six. Consider the child's coordination and
desire to learn to ride. Stick with coaster brakes until your child is older
and more experienced.

b. Take your child with you when you shop, so that he or she can try out
the bike. The value of proper fit far outweighs the value of being
surprised.

c. Buy a bike which is the right size, not one to "grow into". Oversized
bikes are especially dangerous.

d. How to test any style of bike for proper fit:
• Sitting on the seat with hands on the handlebars, your child must

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