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A few practical tips, for cyclists and pedestrians
It is of course up to you to decide whether your child gets to school “actively” or not—whether accompanied by you, a neighbour, an older child or friends—depending on the child’s age, the distance from school and your neighbourhood. Here are some tips on how to help your child walk or ride to school safely and make the experience more fun.
Does your child walk to school?
• Let’s talk weather first: kids can walk to school all year long, even in the rain or snow (maybe not during a drenching rainstorm or when it’s 35 below!). They just have to dress appropriately (raingear or warm winter clothing, bright clothing or reflective strips that can be seen in the dark).
• Kids who can comfortably walk at a speed of 4 to 5 km/h for 20 to 30 minutes can cover at least 2 km, a significant distance. How far away is your child’s school?
• Avoid overloading knapsacks or schoolbags: does your child really need to bring all those books home every night?
• Review the following safety tips with your child:
- Walk in the centre of the sidewalk or, if there is no sidewalk, along the side of the road.
- If possible, cross the street at intersections with crossing guards and follow their instructions.
- Cross the street only at intersections and crosswalks.
- Look both ways before crossing the street.
- Respect the traffic lights at intersections.
- Never walk between two parked cars to cross the street.
- Don’t run or jostle with your friends when crossing the street.
- Map out and walk a safe route together, and make sure your child always takes this route to school.
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Does your child bike to school?
• If the school is a little too far away to make walking practical, cycling is a good choice. In the city, your child can cycle at 12 to 15 km/h so can cover quite a distance in 20 minutes. A 3-km bike ride is child’s play at this speed!
• Make sure your child’s bike is the right size, in good working order and adjusted appropriately. If the bike is the right size, your child should be able to straddle the crossbar (standing with both feet on the ground) with 2 to 5 cm of clearance. The seat is at the right height if your child’s pedalling leg is almost fully extended at the bottom of each stroke. The handlebars should be in line with the seat.
• Make sure the bicycle is equipped with a full set of regulation reflectors: white at the front, amber on the front wheel and pedals, red on the rear wheel and at the back. When cycling after dark, an active lighting system consisting of a white front light and a red rear light is also required (used mainly in the fall, when it gets dark early).
• Ensure that our child’s helmet is the right size, in the correct position and adjusted appropriately. The strap should fit snugly (but not too tightly) under the chin.
• Until about age 7, your child can ride safely on the sidewalk while you bike alongside on the street.
• At about age 8, your child can start riding with you on the street, either behind or in front of you, whichever you prefer.
- In front of you: you can watch and advise.
- Behind you: you can anticipate obstacles and lead by example.
• Teach your child how to lock up a bicycle correctly, i.e. to attach the front wheel and the frame to a bike rack or fence.
• Make sure your child wears appropriate clothing for the weather and season (raingear, warm or light clothing, bright clothing or reflective strips that can be seen in the dark).
• Avoid overloading backpacks: install a rack or a basket on the bike instead (again, does your child really need to bring all those books home every night?).
• Review the following safety tips with your child:
- When biking on the sidewalk, ride slowly and watch for pedestrians; when biking on the road, stay on the right-hand side and ride in the same direction as other traffic.
- If possible, cross the street at intersections with crossing guards and follow their instructions.
- Cross the street only at intersections and crosswalks.
- Look both ways before crossing the street.
- Respect the traffic lights at intersections.
- Never ride between two parked cars to cross the street.
- Don’t ride too fast; it’s not a race.
- Map out and ride a safe route together, and make sure your child always takes this route to school. Choose the quietest streets possible.
One last thing: if kids prefer in-line skates, scooters or skateboards, why not encourage using these modes of active transportation to get to school? Just make sure they wear the required safety equipment and respect the relevant safety rules.
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