Bike and Pedestrian Safety

1. Bike and Pedestrian Safety Ali Hancock, TresseKeplinger, Meghan Dickenson and Kaci Wells

2. Bike Safety • Talk with your parents. Are you allowed to ride by yourself or with friends? What route will you ride to school? • Practice riding the route to school with your parents. Doing so will help you know where to stop, signal, and walk your bike. • Dress to be seen. Wear brightly colored clothes and reflective gear, such as a reflective vest, book bag tags, or pant leg straps. Remember, just because you can see a driver doesn’t mean the driver can see you. • Tie and tuck. Loose laces and pant legs can get caught up in your • bike and cause you to crash. Tie shoelaces and tuck the hanging ends into your shoe, and tie wide pant legs with a reflective strap or tuck them into socks. • Check your bike for safety. Make sure the tires have enough air, the brakes and gears work, the chain isn’t loose, and the wheels and bolts are tight. You should also have reflective gear on your bicycle. Have your parents help you fix anything that’s not right. • Put on your helmet. Make sure it’s properly adjusted, fitted, and buckled. See sidebar for instructions on checking helmet fit.

3. While Riding Your Bike • Look and listen for traffic. Also, look for things that could make you fall, like pot- holes and storm grates. Never use a cell phone or wear headphones. • Watch for vehicles going in and out of driveways. • Keep both hands on the handlebars, except when signaling. Carry books and other items in a backpack or bag designed to fit on a bicycle. • Stop before crossing the street, entering a road, or turning. Look left, right, left, and behind you for traffic, including pedestrians, bicycles, and cars. • If you are allowed to ride in the street, Ride single file and in the same direction as cars. • Ride to the right side of the road, but far enough from parked cars to avoid any car doors that suddenly open. • Obey traffic laws. Follow all traffic signs, signals, and lane markings. • Be predictable. Ride in a straight line, not in and out of cars. Use hand signals.

4. Bike Safety Tips • Have the right sized helmet • Wear a helmet every time • Inspect bicycles to make sure: reflectors are secure, brakes work, gears shift smoothly, and tires are secured and inflated. • Avoid riding bikes around cars • Learn road rules

5. Bike Safety Statistics • In 2001, children 15 years and younger accounted for 59% of all bicycle related injuries. • On average, 600 children die each year due to bicycle accidents • Out of the 616 deaths in 2010, 70% were not wearing helmets

6. Bike Safety Video • Bike Safety Boogie: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dStGTWZlZHY

7. Pedestrian Safety Statistics • 726 accidents with cars/pedestrians in 2008. That's 1 accident every 12.10 hours. • Since 2000, an average of 355 unintentional pedestrian fatalities among children ages 14 and under have occurred each year. • Other than in the street, driveways, parking lots and sidewalks are the locations where young children under 3 years of age suffer the highest number of injuries as pedestrians. • Almost 50 %of nonfatal back-over injuries among children ages 1 to 14 occur at home. • 74% of child pedestrian deaths occur at non-intersection locations. • In 2009, almost two-thirds of childhood pedestrian-related deaths occurred to males.

8. Graph • Part of the decline in pedestrian injuries could be a result of the drastic reduction in children walking to school. From 1969 to 2009, the percentage of children walking to school dropped from approximately 50 percent to 13 percent.

9. Tips for Walking to School Safely • Walk together • Younger children should always walk with an adult. Tell your parents that walking is great exercise and a nice way to spend time together. • If your parents say that you can walk to school on your own, remember these tips: • Walk with a friend when possible. • Ask your parents to help you pick a safe route to school; one that avoids dangers. • Stick to the route you picked with your parents. Don’t let friends talk you into shortcuts that are more dangerous. • When you are near the street, don’t push, shove, or chase each other. • Never hitchhike or take rides from people not arranged by your parents. • Talk to your parents and teacher about any bullying that may happen during your walk.

10. Tips Continued • Beseen • Remember, drivers may not be able to see you well. Always wear bright-colored clothes and if it is dark or hard to see, carry flashlights or wear reflective gear. • Look for traffic • Watch out for cars and trucks at every driveway and intersection on your walk to school. Look for drivers in parked cars. They may be getting ready to move. • Cross the street safely • 1. Stop at the curb or edge of the street. • 2. Look left, right, left and behind you and in front of you for traffic. • 3.Wait until no traffic is coming and begin crossing. • 4.Keep looking for traffic until you have finished crossing. • 5.Walk, don’t run across the street. • Obey traffic signs, signals and adult school crossing guards

11. Website for Educators • Teachers can visit http://www.safekids.org/educators/activities.html For fun worksheets to print out for students. For bike safety, there is a helmet matching worksheet. There is also a bike safety workbook of coloring sheets that have safety tips at the bottom and includes a word search For pedestrian safety there is a word search. There are also coloring pages for pedestrian safety that have tips at the bottom.

12. Sources • safekids.org • Www.cdc.gov • www.stritch.luc.edu • helmets.org • www.ksdot.org • http://www.walkbiketoschool.org/sites/default/files/Kids_Bike_Safety_Tips.pdf