By John Foote, Partner

With the arrival of warmer weather and school vacations fast approaching, children are eager to be outdoors. And that means more children will be out riding bicycles. But this popular activity can pose a threat to our children. Each year, 600 children die from brain and other injuries suffered in bicycle accidents. Brain injury is the number one killer and disabler of children in America. And Florida has one of the nation’s highest rates of injuries and deaths from bicycle crashes. However, there is an easy way to reduce the likelihood of serious injury from bicycle accidents: helmets. Bicycle helmets have been shown to reduce injuries by 85 percent. Not only are helmets a smart idea, they are also the law. As of January 1, 1997, children in Florida under the age of 16 must wear a bicycle helmet.

In addition to wearing helmets, staying informed about bicycle rules can help ensure the safety of you and your loved ones. Here are a few bicycle and helmet safety tips to remember:

• A bicycle is a vehicle and must follow the same rules as cars.
• Bicycles must be ridden with, not against, the flow of traffic.
• Bicyclists must obey all traffic signs and signals.
• Stop and check for traffic before entering the roadway.
• Keep to the right side of traffic.
• Use hand signals for any movement that is made within traffic.
• Never carry a passenger on a bike.
• Bicycles operated after dark should be equipped with a white light in front and a red light in the rear.
• At night, bicyclists must always wear retro-reflective clothing.
• A bicyclist must not wear a headset, headphone or other listening device other than a hearing aid while riding.
• Make sure helmets fit comfortably and don’t slip around.
• Helmets must be fastened with a strap to work properly.