Tips for Promoting Bike Safety in Your Community

Children and adults riding bikes and scooters around your neighborhood can be an enjoyable site. It's nice to see people having fun and keeping healthy. But as a community leader, you might be concerned about riders getting hurt. 

So, what can you do to ensure people stay safe while riding?

You can start by promoting bike and scooter safety in your neighborhood. Here are six ideas for keeping riders in your community safe:

1. Educate Riders

Education is half the battle. Teach your residents about the rules of the road. Make sure that you and others in your community are aware of the local laws regarding bike and scooter riding. Sometimes simply following the rules can prevent an accident.

You can have town hall meetings to discuss safety or bring in an expert to teach riders how to be safe. Try talking to the local police department to see if they would be willing to send in a volunteer who might be well-versed in bike and scooter safety and the rules and regulations involved.

If you can combine a few guests who can talk to riders about safety, hosting an entire safety day or at least a several-hour safety event might be worthwhile.

2. Safety Equipment

Encourage the people in your community to wear safety equipment such as helmets, elbow pads, knee pads, and other protective gear when riding their bikes or scooters.

Helmets and other equipment may have to be replaced periodically, so riders should check manufacturer instructions to ensure they're being as safe as possible.

We all hope nobody ever gets into an accident, but the right equipment used correctly will protect a rider if they have a mishap. 

3. Keep the Riding Areas Clean

Make sure that the areas commonly used for biking and scootering are kept as clean as possible. Trash and debris can cause riders to slip and possibly injure themselves. This is especially important after a storm when fallen branches or private objects may end up on the roads and sidewalks.

4. Bike Riding Infrastructure

If possible, ensure that you're community has adequate infrastructure for bike and scooter riders. Sometimes this can be as simple as providing a striped bike lane on the roads.

5. Repair Your Roads and Sidewalks

Cracks in riding areas are hazardous to riders. It might be costly to make repairs, but it can prevent injuries. Try to be on top of the situation by having people monitor the roads and sidewalks. A minor issue in the middle of the road might not be much of a pedestrian hazard but could be a problem for riders.

6. Communicate with the Residents Via Flyers or Email

Even if you set up an in-person meeting and bring in experts, it's possible that not everyone will show up. Send the entire community an email or drop flyers in their mailboxes, letting them know about the above tips and what you're doing to keep the roads safe. Doing so will encourage them to do their part.

Final Thoughts

You care about the people living in your community and their quality of life. You can start by bringing bike and scooter safety awareness to your residents. It will go a long way toward getting riders to be cautious and respectful of others.