How to Keep Kids Safe from Bike and Scooter Accidents
During the summer months when children are out of school, riding bikes and scooters give kids a great opportunity to play outside and get some exercise. To keep kids safe from harm, parents must make sure that children understand the dangers of riding scooters and bikes in driveways, on sidewalks and streets, and any other potentially dangerous, high-traffic areas.
As a parent, you can help your child avoid unsafe situations that could lead to scooter or bike accidents. Making sure your kids wear the proper safety gear, inspecting their bikes or scooters for defects or dangerous wear and tear, and identifying the safest places for them to ride and play with the least amount of traffic can help prevent an accident.
Summer Bike Safety Tips for Kids
All children should wear properly fitted helmets every time they ride a bike. Parents should frequently inspect their child’s bike to ensure that the brakes are functioning correctly, the tires are inflated, lights and reflectors are in place and functional, and there are no other potential safety issues.
Make sure that children ride their bikes in safe areas where they can be seen. It is recommended that children ride bikes in daytime hours rather than at night because kids can be hard for drivers to see in later hours. Children also need to be taught to appreciate certain common road dangers like potholes that can cause younger, less-experienced riders to have accidents.
Scooter Safety Tips for Kids
Children should also wear helmets while riding scooters. If you are purchasing a scooter for your child, make sure that you buy a scooter that is right for your child’s weight and height. Many scooters base suggestions on age, which are not necessarily indicative of the child’s size.
Take the time to have your child practice riding their scooter under close supervision and make sure they understand how it handles when it turns and, more importantly, when it stops.
Try to make sure that your child rides their scooter only on a smooth, paved surface. Gravel or dirt roads will be more dangerous and difficult for them to ride on.
How Can Rosen & Ohr Help Me?
Accidents involving children are tragic, devastating, and entirely unacceptable if they could have been avoided with a measure of awareness and caution. If your child was hurt in an accident on a bike or a scooter because someone else was distracted, careless, or reckless, you have the right to take decisive action to hold the responsible party accountable for their negligence.
Rosen & Ohr, P.A. takes cases involving children very seriously. Our record of success includes a $5.25 million settlement for the parents of a child killed in a fatal, wrong-way DUI collision and a $4.5 million settlement for a child whose medical malpractice caused them to be left with debilitating injuries.
We can provide an honest and thorough evaluation of your Florida personal injury case when you call us or contact us online right to set up a free consultation.
