Mrs. Green’s World is a platform that not only educates people about the health of the planet but about their own health as well. We are proud to partner with Tucson Medical Center, which has been Tucson’s locally governed nonprofit regional hospital for more than 70 years. Because TMC is committed to empowering patients to be active partners in their care and has a robust wellness outreach program, we are going to be sharing TMC’s “Health Tip of the Month” to help you maintain your optimal health. To learn more, please listen to our special podcast series, sponsored by Tucson Medical Center.
Health Tip of the Month – March, 2018
Biking safety tips for safe kids
By Jessica Mitchell, TMC – Safe Kids Pima County Coordinator
For kids, springtime means climbing trees and zipping around on a bicycle. As they get ready to speed off around the neighborhood, make sure they’re safe with a few simple rules. A bike helmet is a great start, but avoiding being hit by a car is the first line of defense. Go over the following tips from Safe Kids with your children:
- Ride your bike on the right side of the road
Tell your children to ride on the right side of the road, with traffic, not against it. Stay to the right. Use appropriate hand signals and respect traffic signals. Stop at all stop signs and stoplights. Acting like the rest of the traffic helps drivers predict their actions.
- Make eye contact with drivers
Teach your children to make eye contact with drivers before they cross the street to make sure drivers are paying attention and are going to stop.
- Use bike lights even at dusk and dawn
When your children are riding at dusk or dawn, make sure they use lights – and make sure their bikes have reflectors as well. It’s also smart to have them wear clothes and accessories that have retro-reflective materials to improve visibility to motorists.
- Maintain those bikes
Inspect bicycles, to ensure that reflectors are secure, the brakes work properly, gears shift smoothly and tires are tightly secured and properly inflated.
- Wear a bike helmet
Make sure your child has the right size helmet and that he wears it every time when riding. Don’t have a bike helmet? Not sure how to fit one? The Desert Kids Safety program has bike helmets for children – toddlers through teens (520) 324-5604.
- Supervise
Actively supervise children until you’re comfortable that they are responsible enough to ride on their own.