From this bicyclist’s point of view, the Morongo Basin is not a very bicycle-friendly place. That makes these safety tips – that reporter Cassie Zimarik passes along – all the more important…
The California Highway Patrol joins with safekids.org in offering the following safety tips for bicyclists:
- “Use your head, wear a helmet.” It is the single most effective safety device available to reduce head injuries and deaths from bicycle crashes.
- Tell your children to ride on the right side of the road with traffic, not against it and stay as far to the right as possible.
- Use appropriate hand signals and obey traffic signals, stopping at all stop signs and stoplights.
- Teach your children to make eye contact with drivers. Bicyclists should make sure drivers are paying attention and are going to stop before they cross the street.
- When riding at dusk, dawn, or in the evening, be bright and use lights – along with insuring your bike has reflectors. It is also smart to wear clothes and accessories that have retro-reflective materials to improve bicyclist visibility to motorists.
- Actively supervise children until you are comfortable that they are responsible enough to ride on their own.
Together, all these tips can help ensure you and your child’s safety while riding bicycles.
