Bicycle Safety

Bicycling in Washington is a practical transportation alternative and is often fun and inexpensive. However it is important to be aware of current Washington state bicycle traffic laws as well as general bicycle safety. To ensure bike safety:

• Wear a helmet
• Make sure your bike is properly adjusted
• Always check your brakes before riding
• See and be seen
• Avoiding biking at night
• Stay alert and always know of any obstacles in your path
• Keep to the right of way
• Always check for traffic around you
• Obey all traffic laws
• Makes sure that wheels are always securely fastened

Helmets and Child Safety

Helmets are important for all cyclists, but especially for children. Keep in mid that children react differently to traffic than adults. For instance children:

• Have a narrower field of vision
• Cannot easily judge a car's speed and distance
• Are easily hidden from view by parked cars and other objects
• Cannot readily determine from which direction a sound is coming
• May be impatient or impulsive
• Often only concentrate on one thing at a time and not always on traffic
• Have limited sense of danger
• Often mix fantasy with reality
• Often imitate the behavior of those around them - often bad