Road
Safety - Off-road Safety - Helmet
Information - How to Wear a Helmet
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BICYCLE
SAFETY
Every year, the
Phoenix Fire Department responds to hundreds of car/bicycle incidents. When
a bicycle and a motor vehicle crash, the bicyclist almost always gets hurt.
Most bicycle injury deaths involve young children. It is important to know some
simple "rules of the road" to help keep bicycling safe and fun!
ROAD
SAFETY
- Children under
age 8 should always be supervised and not allowed to ride on the street. They
should always ride on the sidewalk.
- Until riding
skills are developed, both feet should be flat on the ground while sitting
on the bicycle seat.
- Always walk
a bicycle in the crosswalk when it is safe to cross.
- Stop before
entering the road or a driveway, look left, look right and left again for
moving cars. Look to the front and to the rear before entering the intersection.
- Always ride
with the flow of traffic on the far right side of the street.
- Know and obey
all traffic signs and signals.
- Bicycles with
one seat and one handlebar are made for one rider. DO NOT ride on handlebars
or pegs.
OFF-ROAD
SAFETY
- Be aware of
rocks, sticks, broken glass, and other hazards when riding on unpaved surfaces
- Always ride
with a buddy and tell someone where you will be riding and when you will return.
HELMET
INFORMATION
- A helmet should
be approved by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), the American
Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM), The Consumer Product Safety Commission
(CPSC) or Snell.
- Helmets manufactured
after March 1999 must meet new CPSC standards.
HOW
TO WEAR A HELMET
- When purchasing
a new helmet, be sure that is has 2 sets of sizing pads: a thin set and a
thick set.
- While wearing
the helmet without the straps secured, shake your head from side to side.
The helmet should be snug with very little movement. If there is too much
movement, replace the sponge pads inside with thicker pads. If there is still
much movement, the helmet is too big.
- Front and back
straps should meet in a V shape just below the ear.
- All straps should
be equally tight when the chinstrap is buckled.
- Chinstrap must
be snug, allowing only one finger between the chin and the chinstrap when
the mouth is closed.
- Front of the
helmet should always cover the forehead just above the eyebrow and not interfere
with vision.
- If the helmet
is not sized correctly with the sizing pads, a tight chinstrap will not prevent
it from moving to an incorrect position while riding.
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