{"id":1219,"date":"2022-08-15T12:56:19","date_gmt":"2022-08-15T12:56:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dadstuffsite.com\/?p=1219"},"modified":"2022-09-26T11:47:48","modified_gmt":"2022-09-26T11:47:48","slug":"should-kids-bike-with-or-against-traffic-and-why","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dadstuffsite.com\/should-kids-bike-with-or-against-traffic-and-why\/","title":{"rendered":"Should Kids Bike With or Against Traffic (And Why)"},"content":{"rendered":"
I can hear it happening already. (Me using my best impression of my dad\u2019s voice): \u201cIn my day, riding a bike was different.\u201d And while I might weep a little as I slowly turn into a grumpy old man, the truth is, bike riding for my kids today is very different than it was for me (besides riding uphill both ways in the snow\u2026).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There are so many things I love about my childhood, and the freedom I had to ride around my neighborhood was wonderful. Hindsight is 20\/20, however, and I know the places I rode my bike that I absolutely should not have gone. I have since learned my lesson, and there are a lot of things my kids are NOT going to do that I once did \u2013 like ride their bikes wherever they want, however they want. I\u2019m going to make sure my kids know the proper rules of riding bikes in the street. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
That\u2019s when it hit me; I don\u2019t actually know the rules of the road. On what side of the road should my kids ride their bikes? Is it okay for them to ride on the sidewalk? At what point is it alright for them to ride in the street on their own? After many deep dives into local laws and government safety recommendations, I\u2019ve gone and found the answers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
As a rule, children 10 and older should always ride their bikes with the traffic and NEVER against traffic. In the United States, that means riding their bikes on the right side of the road. Children under 10 years old should ride their bikes on sidewalks and paths and avoid riding their bikes near traffic.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Of course the age and bike-riding experience of a child is ultimately what determines where they should ride their bike. An older, more experienced cyclist is expected to follow the rules of the road, whereas younger children or novice bike riders may not be ready to ride their bikes in the road. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The simplest reason why cyclists should ride with traffic is that it\u2019s illegal to ride against traffic. While local governments usually determine bicycle laws, which could mean many variations and exceptions, most states and municipalities consider a bicycle to be a vehicle. Therefore the rules of the road are the same for a bicycle as they are for a motor vehicle. <\/p>\n\n\n\n From a safety standpoint, and for a number of reasons, it is significantly more dangerous for a cyclist to ride against traffic than with traffic. <\/p>\n\n\n\n One fundamental guideline to bicycle safety in traffic is that if a driver sees you, they are less likely to hit you. When you ride against traffic, you put yourself where drivers aren\u2019t looking for you. Drivers are less likely to see a bicyclist riding against traffic; this is especially true when drivers are entering and leaving roadways and driveways. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If you look at the image below, the driver on the bottom left is going to make a right turn. Since the driver is looking at incoming traffic (to his left), he is going to be much more aware of the cyclist that is riding in the same direction as traffic. <\/p>\n\n\n If however, the cyclist was riding in the opposite direction (not illustrated), the driver is much less likely to look to the right, because he is not expecting traffic to come in that direction. <\/p>\n\n\n\n A driver has less time to react if it is difficult to see you on the road. If a cyclist is traveling at 20 mph and the car is driving 40 mph, their closing speed when driving with traffic is 20 mph. When the cyclist is driving against traffic, the closing speed is 60 mph–three times faster. <\/p>\n\n\n\n When you ride against traffic, it is much harder to see traffic signs. Road signs are usually on the side of incoming traffic. When a cyclist rides against traffic, not only is it harder to see road signs, but incoming traffic may block them completely. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Let\u2019s just stipulate that your kids probably shouldn\u2019t be riding their bikes when it\u2019s super dark, but if they are, it is much harder to see if the headlights of incoming traffic are blinding you. When you ride with traffic you are not directly in the headlights of incoming traffic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When you ride with traffic, you are much less likely to get hit by someone opening their car door. Granted this is more for people in urban areas, but generally speaking, when someone is opening their car door into a busy road, their attention is on the side mirror watching incoming traffic. They\u2019re not usually looking the other way because there isn\u2019t a reason to. <\/p>\n\n\n\n This is similar to the image in No. 2. When a pedestrian is looking to cross the road, their immediate attention is on incoming traffic that is closest to them (in the US, that\u2019s to the left). If you are riding against traffic, pedestrians are less likely to look your way. <\/p>\n\n\n\nWhy Should Cyclists Ride With Traffic? (8 Great Reasons)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
1. It\u2019s the law<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
2. Motorists aren\u2019t looking for you<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
3. Less driver reaction time<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
4. You cannot see traffic signs<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
5. You\u2019ll be blinded by headlights (at night)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
6. You\u2019re more likely to get hit by a door<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
7. You\u2019re more likely to hit a pedestrian<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
8. Statistics don\u2019t lie<\/h3>\n\n\n\n