Biking with Baby

SAFETY:

Biking is not the safest mode of transport, but neither is riding in a car. For parents who take precautions, biking can be a safe and enjoyable experience for both parent and child.

1.Wear a helmet – you and baby should wear a helmet, you are no good to your child brain dead.

2.Use the seat belts supplied for your child - Your child cannot brace themselves, and they are more breakable than you are.

3.Pay attention – common sense maybe, but children are distracting. If baby starts to cry, pull over somewhere safe to see to their needs.

4.Check your equipment before use – check tires and brakes

5.Use lights, reflectors, and wear bright clothing at night

6.Babies should not ride – under 12mo, your child does not have strong enough neck muscles to endure the pressure and jarring. You could inadvertently cause Shaken Baby Syndrome.

7.Follow the manufacturers height and weight requirements

STATISTICS from bicyclinginfo.org

Bicyclist injuries in 2010: 51,000. That is fifty one THOUSAND in the US in 2010.

Bicyclist deaths in 2010: 618. Over SIX HUNDRED people have died in one year.

HELMETS

•It doesn't matter how good of a biker you are, accidents happen. What if you have a medical emergency while biking? What if a terrible driver comes out of nowhere and hits you? Just because you pay attention to your surroundings, doesn’t mean other people do too.

•According to the NHTSA, “A bicycle crash can happen at any time. A properly fitted bicycle helmet reduces the risk of head injury by as much as 85 percent and the risk of brain injury by as much as 88 percent.”

•For information on how to get a proper helmet fit, go to: http://www.nhtsa.gov/people/injury/pedbimot/bike/EasyStepsWeb/index.htm

•Many cities and 22 states have helmet laws. Find out if yours does here: http://www.helmets.org/mandator.htm

CHILD BIKE SEATS

•Either mounted in front or behind the parent, child bike seats give baby a place to sit on the bike.

•Back seats allow the parent more freedom of movement, they can pedal without interference

•Front seats allow interaction with the child. When in back it can be hard to hear your child, and you can’t see them while you are moving.

•Many injuries from these when the parent lets go of the bike and it falls over. The kickstand cannot hold up the bike when your child is on it.

TRAILERS

•Travel behind the bike, close to the ground.

•If a bike tips over, a trailer will always remain upright

•Because it travels behind the whole bike, it may be difficult for cars to see. Some studies report that using a trailer is safer than using a child bike seat.

P.S. I have no idea what happened to the formatting in this post.