SOLANCONEWS.com -- Cutler's Commentary

Cutler's Commentary: Preparing Your Child for a Summer of Bicycling
By Bryan Cutler, State Representative, 100th Legislative District
HARRISBURG -- With the arrival of warm weather, many neighborhoods will experience more children riding their bikes on local roads. Bicycling is a wonderful form of exercise and a great way to get kids out in the sunshine and away from electronic entertainment, but it is important for parents to teach their children the fundamental safety rules of the road before allowing them to ride a bike.

In Pennsylvania, bicycles are considered vehicles and, as such, must follow vehicle laws and those rules specific to bicycles. This means that cyclists are subject to road signs and signals and must ride in the same direction as vehicle traffic.

Although it may be tempting for children, Pennsylvania law prohibits a bicycle from carrying more persons than the number of seats for which it is equipped. Two riders and one seat is not a safe way to travel!

If a child is riding a bicycle between sunrise and sunset, they must be equipped with a front lamp, either emitting a constant or flashing light, and a red reflector or flashing red light on the rear. These should be visible from a distance of at least 500 feet. Amber reflectors should also be placed on each side of the bike. Making sure that a bike is visible to motor vehicles is the surest way to avoid a car-bike collision.

Probably the most important law for cyclists to follow is the helmet requirement. Any person under the age of 12 operating a bike must wear a helmet, and helmets are recommended for all cyclists. According to helmets.org, two-thirds of bicycle-related deaths resulted from traumatic brain injury, and helmets have been proven to provide protection in a bike accident.

Although not required by law, it is a good idea to provide your child with elbow and knee pads for cycling. I personally have the scars on my knees to remind me of the biking crashes of my youth, and looking back, I wish I would have had knee protection.

For more information on bicycle safety, including information on hand signals, traffic signs and proper helmet fitting, visit my Web site at www.RepCutler.com.

Editor's Note: Cutler's Commentary is a monthly column, written by Rep. Cutler.

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