Bike Safety

This week we have had a number of calls regarding unsafe behaviour by St Joseph's student using roads around school.

When we have a concerned community member contact us regarding unsafe road crossing, we will make contact with parents to enable us to work together to ensure the safety of all.

Please read the notes below from Better Health Vic

Bicycle safety for children between 5 and 9

Your child still needs adult supervision and assistance in the traffic environment. It is important to:

Talk together about signs and traffic lights. Identify and discuss places where it is safe to cross the road.
Teach your child how to cross roads using the 'stop, look, listen and think' process – stop at the kerb, look and listen for traffic and then decide whether it is safe to cross. Take the trip to school together along the safest footpaths and use safe crossing places, such as pedestrian crossings and on straight sections of road.
Supervise your child on the way to and from school.
Always be a good role model for your child by obeying road rules and crossing roads safely.
Children under 13 years of age are not recommended to cycle on the road, and they should be accompanied by a competent adult when riding on a footpath or bike path. (You can ride with your child on footpaths while they are younger than 13 years old.)
Make certain that your child wears an approved Australian Standards helmet when riding a bike.

Bicycle safety for children between 10 and 13

Children between 10 and 13 can cope more safely in traffic on their own. This will depend, however, on how much practice the child has had in the 'real traffic' environment. It is important to:

Check that your child always 'stops, looks, listens and thinks' when crossing the road. Ask them to explain to you what they are doing and why they are doing it.
Talk with your child about road laws. Go for regular rides together.
Plan a safe route to school with your child, and to places your child often visits.
Talk with your child about where they can safely ride.
Children under 13 years of age are not recommended to cycle on the road and they should be accompanied by a competent adult when riding on a footpath or bike path.
Make certain your child wears an approved Australian Standards bicycle helmet.
Make sure your child wears bright colours that can be easily seen by other road users.
Always be a good role model for your child by obeying road rules and crossing roads safely.