BRATTLEBORO — Safe Kids Vermont joins Green Street School in celebrating Bike to School Day on Wednesday, May 7. The event brings together children, parents, and educators in raising awareness of bicycle safety.
After school, kids will enjoy a bike rodeo - hands-on and on-bike opportunities to learn about helmet fit, bike fit, and rules of the road.
In partnership with Bell Sports, Bike to School Day is celebrated across the United States in May as part of National Bike Month. All events promote biking to school as a safe and fun way to travel.
According to Safe Kids, a properly fitted and consistently worn helmet is the most effective way to prevent head injury resulting from a bicycle crash.
The group says more children aged 5 to 14 are seen in emergency rooms for injuries related to biking than any other sport, and that Bike to School Day is an important opportunity for students to learn how to bike safely to and from school.
Safe Kids Vermont reminds families to follow these tips when biking:
• Tell your kids to ride on the right side of the road - that's with traffic, not against it. Stay as far to the right as possible. Use appropriate hand signals, and respect traffic signals. Stop at all stop signs and stoplights.
• Teach your kids to make eye contact with drivers to make sure drivers are paying attention and are going to stop before they cross the street.
• When your kids ride at dusk, dawn, or in the evening, make sure they use lights and that their reflectors are in good shape. It's also smart to have kids wear clothes and accessories that have retro-reflective materials so that drivers can better see them.
• Actively supervise children until you're comfortable that they are responsible to ride on their own.