Spring and summer are peak times for riding bikes! My boys love to ride their bicycles whenever they can. We’re fortunate to live in south Florida where we can ride bikes all year. It’s great exercise, and a wonderful way to motivate children (and adults) to play outdoors. According to statistics gathered by Master Lock: • Children usually learn to ride a bike between the ages of 3 and 8 years old. (Pediatrics.About.com)
• In 2010, Americans ages 6 and older went on 2.44 billion bicycling outings, averaging 58 outings per bicyclist. (Outdoor Foundation, 2011; BikesBelong.com)
• Bicycling is the second most popular outdoor activity in America, behind running, jogging and trail running, by frequency of participation. (Outdoor Foundation, 2011; OutdoorIndustry.org)
• 44.6% use their bike for exercise only; 1 in 7 people use their bikes to commute.
But along with riding bicycles is the need to encourage safety at all times. When you’re competing with automobiles, motorcycles and pedestrians for road space, teaching bicycle safety to our children is essential. Did you know that…• Wearing a helmet can reduce the risk of head injury to bicyclists by as much as 85 percent. (My.ClevelandClinic.org)
• A review of 23 studies on bicycling injuries found that bike facilities (e.g. off-road paths, on-road marked bike lanes, and on-road bike routes) are where bicyclists are safest. (Reynolds, C., et al., 2009; ehjournal.net)
• 98.2% of North American bike commuters own a helmet, and 86.5% say they wear a helmet every time they ride. (Moritz, W., 1997, PublishIndex.trb.org)
With this in mind, my son Caleb and I created a short video demonstrating some basic bicycle safety tips. Please check it out:
As we noted at the end of the video, it’s important to lock up your bicycle. Why?
• Most stolen bikes are targeted for one simple reason -- they were left unlocked and unattended. (BicycleLaw.com)
• 47.6% of people have either had their bike stolen or know someone who has had their bike stolen.
What type of bicycle lock do people use most often?• 36.2% of people use a cable lock
• 17.6% of people use a u-shaped lock
• 13.7% of people use a chain lock
• 32.5% of people do not lock their bike
Be sure to check out Master Lock’s Bicycle Safety site at www.masterlockbike.com to see the variety of locks they have available to keep your family’s bicycles secure. And speak with your children about bicycle safety so that they will have many fun adventures riding their bikes this spring and summer!
Disclaimer: As a member of the Master Lock Live Secure Safety Squad, I have been provided with compensation and products to aid in providing my opinions and information about Master Lock. All opinions are 100% my own.
