Summer Tips From Nurses: Bicycle Safety

Although children are likely not riding on busier streets and commuting to work, they do ride through the neighborhood and share the road with commuters.

Be sure children understand road rules and safety precautions like looking both ways, yielding to pedestrians, and slowing down.

Caregivers can help keep their kids safe by getting a properly fitted bicycle helmet and adjusting the bike to fit the height of the child.

Christine Russo is a board-certified pediatric nurse practitioner who works with the pediatric trauma program at Stony Brook Children's Hospital. She recommends that caregivers develop a "no helmet, no bike/scooter/etc. policy, which reinforces the importance of protecting your head."

Road hazards include puddles, potholes, and broken glass. Although children like to ride through puddles, the ground is often slick underneath and can cause a crash.

Children should also be taught the rules of the road, including watching for cars in the neighborhood and moving over to the side of the street or in the grass when someone is passing.

Parked cars also are dangerous when doors open unexpectedly or the car begins to pull away from the curb.