Bicycle Safety
I love children, so it hurts me to see children doing dangerous things. The most dangerous thing I see every day is children riding their bicycles on the wrong side of the road!
Many parents believe, incorrectly, that it is safer for their child to ride facing traffic, the same as pedestrians. Consequently they instruct their child to ride on the left side of the road facing traffic and, thereby, place their child in extreme danger.
It is far, far easier for a pedestrian to avoid an oncomming car than a cyclist. Pedestrians walk or jog at between 2 to 10 miles per hour. A pedestrian can stop nearly instantaneously. A pedestrian can jump quickly to the side. It is easy for a pedestrian to get out of the way. Not so a bicycle. Children on bicycles move at speeds of between 10 and 25 miles per hour. A bicycle cannot stop quickly. A bicycle cannot jump to the side. Even attempts to move off the side of the road can cause severe injury and even death to the rider. Bicycles and pedestrians should not be considered equivalent.
It is understandable that many parents feel their child is safer facing traffic so they can see what is coming, however, simple logic can dispell this fantasy:
At 15 mph a bicycle (or a car) is traveling at 22 feet per second.At 30 mph a car (or a bicycle) is traveling at 44 feet per second.At 45 mph a car is traveling at 66 feet per second.A bicycle traveling at 15 mph facing into traffic traveling at 30 mph has an approach speed of 66 feet per second.This gives the cyclist and the motorist between 4 and 5 seconds to react safely when visibliity is 300 feet.A bicycle traveling at 15 mph with traffic traveling at 30 mph has an approach speed of 22 feet per second.This gives the motorist between 13 and 14 seconds to react safely when visibliity is 300 feet.What does this mean? Think about 5 seconds. Think about your child having to make a life and death decision in 5 seconds. Think about the motorist having to make a life and death decicion regarding your child in 5 seconds. What does the driver do? Stop, swerve into the oncoming traffic, or just slow down and pray.
However, when your child is correctly traveling with traffic (e.g. travelling in the same direction), the motorist has nearly 14 seconds to react. In that time the motorist can easily slow down to the bicycles speed until it is safe for them to pass. This is why bicyclists are required to follow the same rules of the road as motorized vehicles.
Bicyclists must...
Travel on the right side of the road, moving with the traffic.Stop for all stop signs and red lights.Obey posted speed limits (granted not usually a problem).Obey all other traffic laws.Think about this, the earlier your child learns the rules of the road and begins to obey them the safer he or she will be while riding their bicycle and the better of he or she will be when they start driving a car. Protect your child, teach your child correctly, make them safe bicyclists.
Amen
P.S. if you do not believe me, please talk to your local sheriff or police.