The first place to start is to make a bicycle helmet part of every child's riding gear. A 1989 study reported in the New England Journal of Medicine found that children and adults who wear bicycle helmets reduce their risk of head injury by as much as 85 percent and their risk of brain injury by 90 percent. Parents should encourage helmet use by placing bicycle helmets on infants who ride in bicycle carriers. By the same token, parents must set an example by wearing helmets whenever they ride - even on bike paths. When purchasing a helmet for children, look for those approved by the American National Safety Institute or those meeting the Snell Memorial Foundation's 1984 Standard for Protective Headgear.
Most bike shops carry a variety of approved helmets and can help parents fit one to their child.
Most crashes between a car and a bike happen when children fail to stop at the end of a driveway or when they cross a driveway or sidewalk and a car pulls in front of them. Wear light-colored clothing. Parents should also carefully plan the routes their children use to ride to school or to friends' homes, making sure to avoid major intersections whenever possible. Children should avoid riding at dusk or at night. The bicycle should be equipped with adequate front and rear lighting and plenty of reflectors.