Hey kid, go play in traffic
July 2, 2013 7:36 AM Subscribe
What are some best practices for teaching children how to ride bicycles on the road?
My kid is 6 years old and started riding her bike herself a few months ago. She has to ride on the road if she wants to go anywhere useful. What are some best practices for getting her around safely?
The roads in question are side streets in an urban area. There are many but not constant cars. Often it is single lane traffic (alternating in either direction) due to street parking and traffic calming measures. We traverse intersections with 2 way stops where opposing traffic should theoretically stop, 4 way stops, and cross major intersections with traffic lights.
She is of course riding with an adult but I am not sure how to position her on the road for best safety. She still confuses left and right so she likes to ride behind me a bit to see my directions. What I did yesterday was take the full lane, and she rode slightly behind me and inside towards the curb. When I got to an intersection with a stop sign (in either direction) I took the whole intersection, blocked it, and waited for her to proceed through before moving on. We were side-by-side through the intersection with the traffic light. I kept my head up looking at the parked cars to see if there is somebody looking to get out, however she is in a prime location for getting doored.
Suggestions for getting her going with the flow of traffic are welcome.
My kid is 6 years old and started riding her bike herself a few months ago. She has to ride on the road if she wants to go anywhere useful. What are some best practices for getting her around safely?
The roads in question are side streets in an urban area. There are many but not constant cars. Often it is single lane traffic (alternating in either direction) due to street parking and traffic calming measures. We traverse intersections with 2 way stops where opposing traffic should theoretically stop, 4 way stops, and cross major intersections with traffic lights.
She is of course riding with an adult but I am not sure how to position her on the road for best safety. She still confuses left and right so she likes to ride behind me a bit to see my directions. What I did yesterday was take the full lane, and she rode slightly behind me and inside towards the curb. When I got to an intersection with a stop sign (in either direction) I took the whole intersection, blocked it, and waited for her to proceed through before moving on. We were side-by-side through the intersection with the traffic light. I kept my head up looking at the parked cars to see if there is somebody looking to get out, however she is in a prime location for getting doored.
Suggestions for getting her going with the flow of traffic are welcome.
What you describe sounds pretty good.
I would also point out common dangers, like getting "right hooked" at an intersection (having a car come around you and then turn, or similarly, riding into the space between a turning car and the curb), getting doored (best to ride 2-3 feet away from parked cars); cars running reds (if i'm approaching a red light that turns green, i usually slow down pretty hard because it's a safe bet that somebody's going to come across me running the red as if it were still yellow)
I would also teach some specific tools of the trade: quick shoulder-checks to see what's behind you (if it doesn't destabilize her), making eye contact with drivers, stopping hard in an emergency (practice on grass?).
Hell yeah to adding a bell. L and R stickers are a good idea, too.
Plus, also, focus on the fun so that it doesn't seem like all danger. Cause it's not all danger.
posted by entropone at 8:00 AM on July 2, 2013
I would also point out common dangers, like getting "right hooked" at an intersection (having a car come around you and then turn, or similarly, riding into the space between a turning car and the curb), getting doored (best to ride 2-3 feet away from parked cars); cars running reds (if i'm approaching a red light that turns green, i usually slow down pretty hard because it's a safe bet that somebody's going to come across me running the red as if it were still yellow)
I would also teach some specific tools of the trade: quick shoulder-checks to see what's behind you (if it doesn't destabilize her), making eye contact with drivers, stopping hard in an emergency (practice on grass?).
Hell yeah to adding a bell. L and R stickers are a good idea, too.
Plus, also, focus on the fun so that it doesn't seem like all danger. Cause it's not all danger.
posted by entropone at 8:00 AM on July 2, 2013
Granted I grew up in a small suburb of a small West Virginia city so I didn't have a lot of traffic to deal with but I don't also remember going far from home at age 6 on my bike. I was likely a few years older before I did that.
Can you possibly take you child somewhere that gets less traffic and has less parked cars as a way of acclimatizing your child to riding on the street?
posted by mmascolino at 8:16 AM on July 2, 2013
Can you possibly take you child somewhere that gets less traffic and has less parked cars as a way of acclimatizing your child to riding on the street?
posted by mmascolino at 8:16 AM on July 2, 2013
I'm in the same boat (7yo kid), but in a very dense, urban trafficked setting. One thing that helps me is wearing a whistle. That way I can communicate very clearly to my son that he is to STOP. Sometimes it's due to a car backing out a driveway, sometimes it's due to someone about to open a door. But it's way easier than trying to get his attention verbally.
I change it up with his location. I feel better with him behind me, but I can't review his riding style and choices, nor do I think he's forced to learn what decisions to make back there (which can be good--some of those decisions he'd botch right now). On the other hand, having him ride in front of me lets me see how he's carrying himself and where he's looking. This gives us stuff to talk about in terms of gaining skills. As a mom and as an urban rider, though, I err on the side of "Yo, it is dangerous out there!" I get entropone's POV above, but I also think in my setting you don't get any second chances with a car. We do ride in a variety of settings (like at a big park) so there are places where he can truly do whatever.
I think the most important skill for riding in traffic is finding that sweet spot distance-wise between the parked cars and moving traffic, and knowing when to override that distance in one direction or the other. She's gotta be close enough to the parked cars that she's not weaving into the traffic coming behind her, but not so close that she finds herself swerving to avoid a door and landing under a bus. A good thing might be to get her a tall flag and have her err on the side of taking the lane when/if she thinks she needs it. Also, teaching her not to cave to the pressure of drivers who yell or honk. She's the one who will pay the price if she bows to the pressure of swerving into a bad situation.
posted by Yoshimi Battles at 8:19 AM on July 2, 2013
I change it up with his location. I feel better with him behind me, but I can't review his riding style and choices, nor do I think he's forced to learn what decisions to make back there (which can be good--some of those decisions he'd botch right now). On the other hand, having him ride in front of me lets me see how he's carrying himself and where he's looking. This gives us stuff to talk about in terms of gaining skills. As a mom and as an urban rider, though, I err on the side of "Yo, it is dangerous out there!" I get entropone's POV above, but I also think in my setting you don't get any second chances with a car. We do ride in a variety of settings (like at a big park) so there are places where he can truly do whatever.
I think the most important skill for riding in traffic is finding that sweet spot distance-wise between the parked cars and moving traffic, and knowing when to override that distance in one direction or the other. She's gotta be close enough to the parked cars that she's not weaving into the traffic coming behind her, but not so close that she finds herself swerving to avoid a door and landing under a bus. A good thing might be to get her a tall flag and have her err on the side of taking the lane when/if she thinks she needs it. Also, teaching her not to cave to the pressure of drivers who yell or honk. She's the one who will pay the price if she bows to the pressure of swerving into a bad situation.
posted by Yoshimi Battles at 8:19 AM on July 2, 2013
I have a son about the same age and we've been on the road for a couple of years. What I do is always ride slightly behind and on the traffic side. That way I can see where he is, anticipate any dangerous moves on his part, and potentially, well, divert him physically into the shoulder should the need arise.
While we're riding, I use various teachable moments to give tips about parked cars, approaching intersections, etc. But definitely keep it to just a handful of new things at a time and keep it fun.
posted by hey you over in the corner at 8:21 AM on July 2, 2013 [1 favorite]
While we're riding, I use various teachable moments to give tips about parked cars, approaching intersections, etc. But definitely keep it to just a handful of new things at a time and keep it fun.
posted by hey you over in the corner at 8:21 AM on July 2, 2013 [1 favorite]
When my kid (age 7) and I ride on the street, I tend to put her in front of me so I can keep an eye on her. She will occasionally confuse left/right, but I can easily see her and tell her where she needs to be. She's developed a pretty good sense of how far to the right she needs to be vs not getting doored vs taking a lane. I think a lot of those skills are just picked up after miles and miles and miles of riding; it's intuition.
We also made a big game out of stopping. We'd get up to speed, ride along, and I'd suddenly shout STOP! and she made a game out of how quickly she could bring her bike to a stop.
Occasionally I'll put her behind me, or just to the right of me where I'll take the lane and she'll be curbside, especially downtown.
posted by spikeleemajortomdickandharryconnickjrmints at 8:22 AM on July 2, 2013 [1 favorite]
We also made a big game out of stopping. We'd get up to speed, ride along, and I'd suddenly shout STOP! and she made a game out of how quickly she could bring her bike to a stop.
Occasionally I'll put her behind me, or just to the right of me where I'll take the lane and she'll be curbside, especially downtown.
posted by spikeleemajortomdickandharryconnickjrmints at 8:22 AM on July 2, 2013 [1 favorite]
Here is how not to do it. I hope it is salient.
One of my aunts was ill and we took my cousin in for ten days. 1971 or so. That girl took my training wheels off and ran behind me hanging onto this little bar that looped up from the back of my bright purple Sears bike. I was six and she was eleven. She must have been strong. We stuck to level areas and she always had me.
One day, she put me at the top of Krause Avenue in Streamwood, IL. I cruised what seemed like an endless downgrade until my feet could not keep up with the pedals. I remember the pedals starting to slap my feet off. I passed an oldie in a car. Wow, was I free. Legs in the air, wind, no helmet or any of that other sissy shit, best amusement park ride ever.
What my cousin had yet go to over with me were the brakes. I still love her, because I got to fly when I hit that curb at the bottom. Cars skidding about as I went right through the stop sign. I was unhurt and wanted to do it again.
Years later, I taught my mom to ride a bike. She was about 48 and too embarrassed to practice on the street. So we used our ominous long driveway. She took out the plastic trashcan and whooshed right off the back end of the carport. And that was a hill nobody in their right mind would try on a bicycle. Straight into the creek went Mom, with a bunch of thorny bushes along the way. Disturbed aquatic birds were rocketing out of the floodplain and eggs were broken.
The only best practice I'm describing here is hang on to the back of the bike and don't let go. You want level terrain. Braking is everything.
posted by Mr. Yuck at 7:55 PM on July 2, 2013
One of my aunts was ill and we took my cousin in for ten days. 1971 or so. That girl took my training wheels off and ran behind me hanging onto this little bar that looped up from the back of my bright purple Sears bike. I was six and she was eleven. She must have been strong. We stuck to level areas and she always had me.
One day, she put me at the top of Krause Avenue in Streamwood, IL. I cruised what seemed like an endless downgrade until my feet could not keep up with the pedals. I remember the pedals starting to slap my feet off. I passed an oldie in a car. Wow, was I free. Legs in the air, wind, no helmet or any of that other sissy shit, best amusement park ride ever.
What my cousin had yet go to over with me were the brakes. I still love her, because I got to fly when I hit that curb at the bottom. Cars skidding about as I went right through the stop sign. I was unhurt and wanted to do it again.
Years later, I taught my mom to ride a bike. She was about 48 and too embarrassed to practice on the street. So we used our ominous long driveway. She took out the plastic trashcan and whooshed right off the back end of the carport. And that was a hill nobody in their right mind would try on a bicycle. Straight into the creek went Mom, with a bunch of thorny bushes along the way. Disturbed aquatic birds were rocketing out of the floodplain and eggs were broken.
The only best practice I'm describing here is hang on to the back of the bike and don't let go. You want level terrain. Braking is everything.
posted by Mr. Yuck at 7:55 PM on July 2, 2013
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So if I were you I'd put a mirror (and a bell, because bells are fun) on your kid's bike.
Maybe even an L sticker on the left side of the handlebars and an R sticker on the right until she gets more comfortable with that.
posted by phunniemee at 7:45 AM on July 2, 2013