Essential Safety Tips For Toddler Cycling

By Tian C - Updated: January 8, 2019

In this Article

Important Road Safety Tips for Toddlers When Cycling

Cycling is an excellent outdoor activity and great fun for toddlers. However, biking-related injuries are more common in children than many other sport-related injuries. To ensure cycling safety for children, it’s important that a child learns to ride a cycle under parental supervision and in a safe environment.

A growing child looks for many ways to learn new things. You, as a parent, are also looking for constructive and healthy ways to channel his energy. One healthy outlet is cycling. There are so many reasons it’s a good sport. For starters, it’s fun and offers freedom and exercise to your tot’s tiny muscles. It also helps develop balance and coordination. But, for all its positives, there are safety concerns to take into account. Listed below are a few simple rules to keep toddlers safe while cycling.

Important Road Safety Tips for Toddlers When Cycling

1. Supervise

Children learning to ride should always be under adult supervision until they’re a little older and responsible enough to ride on their own. Even then, you need to insist they follow all safety rules and that includes wearing safety gear.

2. Adjust the Seat Height

Ensure that the bicycle seat is at the proper height so that your child can touch both feet to the ground. When you’re adjusting it, do take into account his comfort as well.

3. Use Safety Equipment

There are various bicycle safety equipment for toddlers, the foremost being a safety helmet. It’s the most effective tool to reduce head injury from bicycle crashes. While your toddler doesn’t need full riding gear if you’re providing support for his balance, always make it a point to have him wear a helmet. Besides bicycle helmet safety for kids there are other protective items available like riding gloves, and knee and elbow pads. All these will be useful once he’s a little older, or once he’s started bicycle training more seriously. A 23-month-old and bicycle safety gear may seem far-fetched but a little care at this time will prove to be prudent.

4. Educate About Road Rules

Teach your child to ride on the left side of the road. He should always ride with the traffic and never against it. You also need to teach him to look behind before turning, overtaking or stopping. These simple bicycle safety rules for toddlers will remain with him even when he grows up.

5. Teach Traffic Signals

Aside from basic road rules, you need to teach your toddler to halt at all stop signs and explain to him the significance of red, green and amber traffic lights. Equally important is the knowledge about zebra crossing. Educate your child about hand signals as well, and how he should extend either arm before turning right or left. These signals may be meaningless to him right now, but he will learn to use them once he’s a little older.

Children are most vulnerable to injuries and accidents in the absence of adult supervision. Bicycle safety for toddlers should be taught by example and guidance with a trusted adult, from an early age.

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