Bike Safety Basics
Now that the weather is much nicer, more and more people are taking up biking as recreation, and to cut back on transportation costs and environmental impacts. If your student and/or your family are ready to try biking, here are some safety tips to keep in mind:

• Ride on the right, with traffic, instead of against it
  
• Wear a bike helmet that fits properly
  
• Obey all traffic signs, signals and lane markings
  
• Stay alert by using your eyes and ears — don't wear a headset because you could easily get into a dangerous situation
  
• Watch for people in parked cars who might pull out or open a door unexpectedly
  
• Look and signal before turning
  
• Be predictable — don't weave — and signal your moves
  
• Yield to traffic when appropriate and to pedestrians who have already entered a crosswalk
  
• Watch for road hazards like broken glass, potholes, gravel and more — and point them out to people riding behind you
  
• Try to avoid riding at night whenever possible, since it's much harder to see folks then — have reflectors on the front and back of your bike, as well as on the tires, and wear clothing that makes you more easily seen
  
• Check that your brakes work and that your tires are properly inflated
  
• Adjust your bike seat to fit – stand over it and have 1-2 inches between you and the top bar if it's a road bike and 3-4 inches if it's a mountain bike, make the seat level front to back, adjust the seat height to allow a slight bend in the knee when the leg is fully extended and have the handlebars at the same level as the seat

View more information about Bike Safety

Steps to Properly Fit a Bicycle Helmet