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Show re? Bqio Fun Difio Mno follow Bsiqlo Ru!os Now that winter is over, and the weather is warmer, more and more children will be found riding their bicycles on the streets. Drivers must take special caution because bike riders are so unpredictable. Basic safety measures are not second nature, but the time and thought put into bike safety can lead to pleasurable riding, which may one day follow into safe automobile driving. THE Recommendations that follow come from suggestions of the American Academy of Pediatrics, which I fully support. First of all, bicycles of the wrong size may cause your child to have an accident. Regulations of the Consumer Product Safety Commission j require that all bikes must be the correct size for the child to'-whom they are sold. Take your child with you when you shop. The value of safety far outweighs the value of a surprise. Please do not buy a j bike to "grow into." Over-. Over-. sized bikes are dangerous. FOLLOW THESE simple tests: 1. Sitting on the seat with hands on the handlebars, the child must be able to place the balls of both feet on the ground. 2. Straddling the center bar should be possible with both feet flat on the ground and about one-inch clearance between the crotch and the bar. 3. If the bike has handbrakes, the child should be able to comfortably grasp the lever and easily apply sufficient pressure to brake the bike. The above simple tests apply to all styles of bikes. .-Once the first bike is received, a lifelong pattern of vehicle operation is begun. The bicycle is not a toy but a speedy means of transportation transporta-tion which is subject to the same laws as a motor vehicle. UNTIL' THE child has been observed to ride confidently and to follow basic rules of the road, riding must be restricted re-stricted to sidewalks, paths, and driveways. To demonstrate demon-strate basic competence the child must be abe to: 1. Stop the bicycle quickly by using the brakes. 2. Start riding without wobbling out of path one yard wide. 3. Stop and dismount without falling. 4. Ride in a straight line near the curb. The most important rules of the road are: 1. Stop at intersections inter-sections where the walk, driveway or alley intersects a street. (75 percent of child bike-accident deaths occur where driveways, alleys and streets intersect). 2. Ride to the right of the road, with traffic. 3. Do not ride at or after dusk. 4. Obey all traffic signals and stop signs. Wait for green light. CHILDREN WHO ride unsafely un-safely should be disciplined so as to establish the significant sig-nificant and real concern of parents. Prohibiting the use of a bike is an appropriate disciplinary step. There is increased hazard when parents take a child on their bicycles. Safety must be fully considered. Consider the following to be some helpful guidelines: 1. The parent must be a competent bicycle rider. 2. Infants under six months should never be carried on a bicycle. 3. Infants, In-fants, ages 6 to 12 months should be carried in a backpack back-pack type of carrier. 4. Children ages 1 to 4 years (40 lbs. ) must be carried in a seat which protects feet and hands from spokes and minimizes the risk of falling. 5. Seats should be properly installed so that the hands and feet cannot get into the spokes. 6. Young children must be belted belt-ed into the seat so that they cannot climb out. 7. A child passenger makes the bike more unstable and increases braking time. Parents should restrict their riding with a passenger to parks, bike paths, or quiet streets and roads. Avoid busy thoroughfares thorough-fares and inclement weather. SPEEDS UP to 15 to 20 miles per hobr'are easily attained at-tained on casual riding, especially when going downhill. A spill can cause serious injury to the youngster. young-ster. Ride with maximum caution and reduce speed. I hope you will find the above pointers useful to you. If you have any questions or comments about today's article, ar-ticle, address them to Dr. Richard M. Sag, co North Davis Pediatrics, 2132 North 1700 West, Suite C, Layton, Utah 84041. |