Our association wants your kids to be safe while riding their bikes and scooters in our community, and we recognize that you can’t be there to watch them all the time. Here are four steps that could increase their safety when you’re not around.

• Teach kids how to fall. Learning how to ride correctly is only part of what keeps a kid safe. Falls are inevitable, and teaching your children to fall correctly will prevent many serious injuries. Teach them to roll on impact, relax their body, and try to land on their padded and fleshiest parts.
• Check equipment. Check bikes and scooters for cracks or dents, sharp metal parts, jutting edges and slippery surfaces. Replace defective equipment, consult a professional for repairs and apply self-adhesive, non-slip material to slippery surfaces.
• Make a rule for your kids—one person to each piece of equipment. They might be less likely to hop on a friend’s scooter if they know it’s unsafe and that they’ll have to pay for replacing it when it breaks.
• Require protective equipment. Scooters, roller blades, bikes and similar equipment cause thousands of injuries—and even some deaths—every year. Make sure your children are wearing helmets, knee pads and elbow pads, especially if they are just learning. Buy a helmet your kid thinks is cool and you know is safe—it’s worth the extra money if your child is more likely to wear it.