The weather is warmer and it’s time to dust off your bike! There are so many great reasons to ride your bike: It offers fun, freedom and exercise, and it’s good for the environment. We have 3 important bike safety tips to keep kids and adults safe.

Wear a Helmet

Safe Kids Worldwide has a saying, “Use Your Head, Wear A Helmet.” Wearing a helmet is the single most effective safety device available to reduce head injury and death from bicycle crashes.

Safe Kids Worldwide created a great video for parents to show how to make sure your kid’s bike helmet fits properly.

Adults, learn how to properly wear your bike helmet and make sure it fits. Set an example for your kids and always wear your helmet when you are biking, too even if you didn’t wear a helmet when you were a kid. You’d be surprised how much kids learn from watching you, so it’s important for parents to model proper behavior.

Be Bright, Use Lights

Wear bright colors and use lights, especially when biking in morning or at night. Reflectors on your clothes and bike will help you be seen. Make sure your bike helmet has reflectors, too!

Keep an Eye Out

Ride on the sidewalk or paved trails when you can. Every child is different, but developmentally, it can be hard for kids to judge speed and distance of cars until age 10, so limit riding to sidewalks (although be careful for vehicles in driveways), parks or bike paths until age 10. No matter where you ride, teach your child to stay alert and watch for cars and trucks.

Teach kids to make eye contact with drivers. Bikers should make sure drivers are paying attention and are going to stop before they cross the street. Stop and look left, right and left again before entering a street or crossing an intersection. Look back and yield to traffic coming from behind before turning left.

Follow these 3 bike safety tips and enjoy getting out on your bike with your family! Need a new trail to ride? Check out over 455 miles of trails in Johnson County.