Bicycles have always been a convenient mode of transportation used not only to get a person from A to point B but also to be a source of entertainment while doing it. Therefore, being safe while riding and knowing how to avoid dangerous situations while on the bike are crucial components of bike activity. While adults are generally aware of the risks and methods of their mitigation, kids in the age group of eight to thirteen years old may only start riding, which is why it is the responsibility of public service workers to educate them on bike safety and teach specific steps they should follow.
This public service announcement (PSA) will cover such topics related to bike safety in children as reading road signs, knowing the road hand signals technique, wearing protective gear, being familiar with one’s surroundings, understanding the main components of a bike, having a plan for emergencies, riding without training wheel support, and understanding road rules and laws of the road. The current PSA may be funded by the local (city) government to disseminate informational materials across healthcare facilities and schools. Investment in pamphlets and nurse training can provide a solid educational framework for teaching younger generations about bike safety.
Professional nurses can act as facilitators of learning and safety advocates to their younger patients and communicate with their parents about the important bike safety steps. Specifically, nurses could provide learning materials in the form of pamphlets and valuable resources that have road signs, illustrations and explanations. There are YouTube videos on this topic as well as printable signs available on Amazon, Pinterest, and other websites that are easily accessible. As an intervention, when dealing with young patients, nurses should encourage children to use stop signs correctly and look both ways when crossing roads.
Teaching kids road signs can be done through play, with nurses asking kids to demonstrate “left” and “right” hand signs during it. Nurses should explain that communication with all traffic participants is imperative for safe biking. Healthcare professionals can also demonstrate to their younger patients how to wear protective gear so that it is fitted on the body properly. In addition, they should teach kids that they must always wear closed-toe shoes as all of the gear they have to protect their skin and body from injuries. Examples of protective gear should be available at healthcare facilities to serve as tools for illustrative education (NSC, 2023). Throughout their work as facilitators of knowledge, healthcare staff should communicate the importance of knowing one’s surroundings when riding bikes. Specifically, it is crucial that kids can point out landmarks in their neighborhoods so they do not get lost. Nurses should collaborate with parents to address this learning point.
There is an abundance of resources available that teach about the main bike components and how they should be assessed to guarantee safety. Using illustrations is the best strategy for teaching kids about bike parts; for instance, showing what a flat tire looks like, where are the breaks, lights, the seat, pedals, and other components. When kids know how to assess the proper functioning of bike parts, they know whether their bike is safe enough to ride (Cronan, 2023). In case an emergency occurs, it is crucial that kids understand what services they can contact to report it, whether it is an emergency department or their parents. For every child, the plan of action in such situations will differ, and the only thing that matters is that they should be educated about the importance of such a plan and know how to act upon it.
While wheel support is conducive to learning how to ride a bike independently, their removal means that a child is confident enough to ride independently and on longer distances. When kids learn to ride without wheel support, they should pass a test of riding a hundred feet in a straight line while maintaining balance doing it. If they accomplish such a task flawlessly, their bike skills are on a good level to engage in the activity regularly and under decreasing supervision from adults. The final step to bike safety is understanding crucial road laws and rules for cyclists to feel important participants in traffic (NHTSA, n.d.). In their educators’ roles, nurses can help explain different road rules, such as sides of the road, the importance of wearing reflective and bright clothing when it is dark, or not listening to music in headphones too loud to be aware of the surroundings. The rationale for the educational effort is to ensure that younger cyclists can keep themselves and everyone around them safe while participating in the reduction of preventable injuries and accidents.
To conclude, bike safety encompasses several important components, all of which should be considered within the educational effort. The more cities implement initiatives described in this PSA, the safer the roads across the countries will become. Within the initiative, healthcare providers are responsible for communicating the need for education and spreading kids’ awareness of bike safety measures. Currently, there is an abundance of resources on bike safety, and their use can significantly improve communities’ quality of life.
Reference
Cronan, K. M. (2023). Bike safety. Web.
NHTSA. (n.d.). Bicycle safety. Web.
NSC. (2023). Bike safely and enjoy your ride. Web.