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Kids Walk Across Arkansas
Education and Safety
Safety First
Goal: To practice pedestrian and bicycle safety.
Objectives:
Participants will:
- Discuss pedestrian safety tips.
- Check bikes to make sure they are in top condition and fit the rider.
- Decide on the right clothes to wear when riding a bike.
- Discuss helmet tips.
- List some rules of the road.
Key Teaching Points:
- Pedestrians have the right-of-way at all intersections and marked crosswalks.
- Before stepping off the curb, look left, look right, and look left again over your shoulder.
- Never walk alone.
- Follow the pedestrian safety tips.
- A bicycle is not a toy - it's a child's first vehicle.
- The bike needs to be in top condition and fit the rider.
- Wear the proper clothing.
- A bicycle helmet should always be worn correctly.
- Follow the rules of the road.
Introduction:
Two of the most popular types of physical activity are walking and bicycling. Some people walk or bicycle for fun, some to get from one place to another, and some for competition. For whatever reason you walk or bike, you should always keep safety in mind. Let's look at why pedestrian safety is important and how to make walking as safe as possible.
Pedestrian Safety Tips:
Follow these tips when walking.
- Never walk alone.
- Follow the same general walking route. It's a good idea to tell someone where you are walking and an approximate time of your return.
- Always wear reflective clothing or reflective tape.
- Walking at night poses safety and security problems.
- Always walk facing oncoming traffic.
- Always use crosswalks where provided.
- Stop, look, and listen!
- Always follow traffic control devices.
- Always be alert to traffic and your surroundings
- Check for traffic before crossing, even if the sign says “walk.”
Bicycle Safety:
A bicycle is not a toy; it is a child's first vehicle. It may not have an engine, but it does rely on human power. Bicyclists of all ages compete with all kinds of traffic. Due to the size and speed of the bicycle, there is great risk to the rider. Let's take a look at some things that can be done to reduce the risk and ensure safety and fun when bicycling.
The bicycle , like any other vehicle, needs to be in tiptop condition and “fit” the rider. Make sure your bike is the proper size. A bike that is too big or too small will be hard to control. Be sure to check the following:
1. Fit
When standing on the ground, there should be a 1- to 3-inch gap between the child and the top bar. More room will be needed for a mountain bike.
2. Bike Seat
Make sure the seat is adjusted to the proper height. When sitting on the seat with the foot on the pedal, the leg should be slightly bent.
3. Reflectors
Reflectors should be on the front and rear of a bike. The rear reflector should be red and should be at least three inches across. Check that the reflector is pointed straight back to reflect the headlights of cars that are coming from the rear. The front reflector is usually standard on new bicycles. It should be white; most new ones are round and 2 inches wide.
4. Bike Chain
The chain should be clean and lubricated. If it's not, take it to the local bike shop for a check up.
5. Brakes
Brakes should have even pressure. They should make the back wheels skid on dry pavement, but should not stick.
6. Tires
Tires need to be properly inflated. The side of the tire has the manufacturer's guidelines. Use a tire pressure gauge to test for inflation.
Clothing Tips:
- It is always cool to wear the right kind of clothes
for the activity. Riders need to see and to be seen.
- Fluorescent green, yellow, or orange are all great colors. When wearing these colors, other bikers, motorists, and pedestrians will be able to see the bicyclist better in the daytime.
- If you must ride at night (which is not recommend for anyone), clothing made with retro-reflective materials is recommended. Retro-reflective tape may also be sewn onto clothing. And do not forget a light source, like a headlamp.
- Roll up, clip, or tuck the legs of loose clothing into socks so they won't get caught in the bicycle chain or pedals.
- Tie shoelaces and tuck the ends into shoes so they don't get caught in your chain. Secure book bag and its straps so they do not catch in the wheels of the bike.
- Always wear appropriate shoes; never ever ride barefoot, in slippers, or in flip-flops.
Wear a Helmet:
Helmets can prevent head injuries - the main cause of death and disability. They make it easier for motorists to see a bicyclist. A helmet is as much a part of the bicycle as the handlebars and tires. Don't ride without it!
Follow these helmet safety tips:
- Choose a safety-certified helmet - the helmet should be certified to meet either Snell or ANSII safety standards.
- Measure for proper fit - measure around the child's head about 1 inch above the eyebrows. Select a helmet with a size range that includes the child's head size.
- Wear a helmet straight and level - the helmet must rest straight on the top of the head. The rim of the helmet should be level from front to back. It should be worn low on the forehead, just above the eyebrows.
- Adjust the helmet for a snug fit - to be effective, a helmet should fit snugly. Most new helmets include extra foam pads of different thickness that can be used to adjust the size to fit a child's head.
- Always buckle the strap under the chin - the chin strap should be buckled on every ride.
- Replace a helmet after a crash - crash impacts crush some of the bicycle helmet foam. Even though the damage may not be visible, replace a helmet after a crash.
Put the child's name and phone number inside the helmet
in case it gets lost or the child is involved in a crash.
Rules of the Road:
Everyone who drives or rides a vehicle must obey the rules of the road. Parents can model good road behavior. When improper behavior is observed, point it out. When riding a bicycle or driving a car, parents can follow the rules of the road and set a good example.
Some rules of the road are:
- Before entering a street from a sidewalk or driveway,
STOP. Look left, right and left again. Go only when it is safe.
- Ride on the right side of the road with traffic -
NEVER against it.
- Ride 2 to 3 feet from the curb and WATCH for car doors being opened. Don't get hit.
- Stop at ALL red and yellow lights.
- Stop when a school bus has FLASHING red lights.
- Ride in a straight LINE; never weave in and out of traffic.
- Make correct hand SIGNALS before stopping or turning.
- Watch out for cars coming out of DRIVEWAYS and parking spaces.
- Never, ever hitch a ride by holding onto another
VEHICLE!
- If a SIREN is going off, stop at the side of road, get off the bicycle and wait until the emergency vehicle has passed.
Review:
All kinds of people ride all kinds of bicycles all over the world. A bicycle is a vehicle and the following are important facts to remember:
- The bike needs to be in top condition and fit the rider.
- Wear the proper clothing.
- Always correctly wear a bicycle helmet.
- Follow the rules of the road.
(Go over each section with the participants. Then do an activity.)
Safety First Activities
Activity 1:
Help participants check bikes for fit, seat height, reflectors, etc., using the checklist from the Bicycle Safety Fact Sheet.
Activity 2*:
Insert a very ripe melon inside a helmet and drop it from the height of a child's head onto a tarp covering the concrete or pavement. Then remove the melon from the helmet and drop it from the same height. The hard surface should make the melon split open. Discuss the similarities between the size and weight of the melon and that of a child's head. HINT: If you do not want to clean it up, place the melon in a transparent plastic bag and seal it.
Activity 3*:
Display a bike with a number of problems. Have participants find the problems and ask why the problems are dangerous. Ask how the problems could be corrected. Examples of problems are missing brake pads, spokes or reflectors, loose handlebars, reflectors on the wrong side (white should be in front, red in rear), loose seat and rusty bike chain.
Remember:
- Motorists are at times pedestrians, and
pedestrians are at times motorists.
- Pedestrians have the right-of-way at all intersections and marked crosswalks.
- Jaywalking is against the law.
Pedestrians Look Out:
- Before stepping off a curb, look left, look right, look left again over your shoulder.
- It is the pedestrian's responsibility to yield to cars when crossing a road without crosswalks.
- If the “Don't Walk” signal is flashing, finish crossing but don't start to cross.
- At the intersection - STOP! Look over your shoulder for cars turning. When all is clear, walk straight across the street, not on a diagonal.
*Activities come from the Use Your Head - Wear A Helmet program by the Southwest Region Brain Injury Rehabilitation and Prevention Center .
Motorists Look Out:
- STOP before crosswalks. Motorists do not belong in crosswalks, pedestrians do.
- Motorists must “look out” for drivers, pedestrians, and bicyclists.
- Turning vehicles “must yield” to pedestrians crossing on the green light.
National Statistics:
- In 1996, 5,412 pedestrians were killed in the United States .
- In 1996, 82,000 pedestrians were injured.
- On average, a pedestrian is killed in a traffic crash every 97 minutes.
- A pedestrian is injured every 6 minutes.
- Most pedestrian fatalities in 1996 occurred at non-intersection locations (77 percent), in normal weather conditions (88 percent), and at night (65 percent).
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Arkansas Education and Safety
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