The end of summer is approaching, which, of course, means school will begin for the majority of students in the Valley of the Sun.  With the start of school, not only will there be more cars on the roads, but more bicycles, as well.  Local hospitals as well as bike-safety advocates are urging parents to keep their children safe from bicycle accidents by teaching them  bicycle safety tips and the rules of the road.

A Maricopa Medical Center spokesperson said that in the past two years, thirty-five auto-bicycle accidents involving children were reported at that medical facility alone.  Since December 2009, three Valley hospitals – Maricopa Medical Center, St. Joseph’s Hospital and Cardon Children’s Medical Center – reported eighty-one cases of child bicycle accidents.

According to hospital officials, most children’s bike injuries occur between the hours of three and seven p.m., the hours when kids are released from school and are out playing before they go home for dinner.  Unfortunately between these same hours is when the  streets are quite crowded with drivers returning from work or school or running errands.

Bike-safety advocates urge parents, drivers and children to know the rules of the road and to practice safe driving and bike riding.  Advocates say the number one bike safety rule is wearing a helmet.  Arizona is a state that does not have a statewide helmet law, so it is up to parents to make sure their child wears a helmet to prevent traumatic head injuries should an accident occur.

According to doctors and bike-safety advocates, wearing a helmet “is the golden rule for bike safety” as it reduces the risk of brain injuries, the number one cause of death and disability among children.

Parents are urged to review and practice bike-safety rules with their children, rules that include using turn signals, watching for traffic before crossing the road, riding on the right side of the road, wearing a helmet, and not playing in the street.

To learn more about bike safety and the rules of the road, free educational programs are available at public schools, local YMCAs,  Boys and Girls Clubs and  hospitals.  Arizona’s bicycle rules and laws can be found at: www.azbikeped.org/laws-and-policies.asp.