Youth Safety
Always
- Ride with traffic. Keep to the right of the road.
- Obey all traffic regulations.
- Use proper hand signals for turning or stopping.
- Stop and look both ways in order to make sure that sidewalks or streets are clear before entering a street.
- Walk your bicycle across busy streets at corners or crosswalks.
- Use proper headlights and a red tail light or reflector when riding at night.
Never
- Show off. (Keep your hands on the handlebars).
- Zigzag, race or stunt ride in traffic.
- Hitch rides on trucks or cars.
Tips
- Always wear your bike helmet and make sure your brothers and sisters do, too.
- Make a deal with your best friends to always wear your helmets when you ride together.
- Don't ride at night.
Facts
- Wearing a bike helmet is the most important thing you can do to protect your brain and your life when riding a bicycle.
- Children between the ages of 5 and 14 have the highest rate of injury of all bicycle riders.
- More then 500,000 children a year go to the hospital emergency rooms of doctors' offices due to bike injuries.
Do you know what to do if you find a gun or knife while you are playing? Follow these four basic steps to stay safe:
Stop
Stop what you are doing.
Don’t Touch
Do not touch the gun or knife.
Leave the area.
Leave the gun or knife alone and leave the area.
Tell an Adult
Let a trusted adult (Parent, Teacher, or Police Officer) know what you found and where it is.
For the Parent
Check out this guide for children who are home alone. (From the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children).
For Kids to Know
- That if you answer the phone, just say that your parent cannot come to the phone and take a message
- That you should never open the door for or talk to anyone who comes to your home unless you know and trust the person and your parent said that it was okay
- To always lock your doors when you get home
- To check-in with a parent as soon as you get home
- To only use appliances like the stove if your parents said it was okay and you know how to use it
- When to use 911
- Who a trusted neighbor is that you can go to for help
- Your home phone number and address
- Your parent's full name, where they work, and phone numbers where they can be reached
You can play on the internet and stay safe if you follow a few simple rules:
- Never give out your address, telephone number, parents’ work address or telephone number, or the name and location of your school without your parents’ permission.
- Tell your parents right away if you come across any information that makes you feel uncomfortable.
- Never get together with someone you meet online. They might not be who they say they are.
- Never send a person your picture or anything else.
- Talk to your parents about their rules for using the internet, and remember to follow them.