Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety for All Ages

An adult adjusts a child’s bicycle helmet beside a bike before riding in a sunny park.

Whether you're biking to track practice, walking to your friend's house after school or finally getting behind the wheel with your newly minted driver's license, sharing the road is a huge responsibility. It doesn't matter if you're a freshman, a senior or an adult: knowing how to navigate the streets safely is essential.

Since we all have places to be, let's break down the rules of the road so everyone can get to their destination safely.

Gear Up and Ride Smart: Bicycle Safety

When you're out on your bike, you might feel like you own the neighborhood, but you still have to share the streets with vehicles that weigh thousands of pounds. Riding smart is the best way to protect yourself.

Protect Your Head

The very first step before every ride is putting on a helmet. It's the single best way to protect your brain if you take a spill.

Ensure it fits snugly so it doesn't slide around. Take a quick look in the mirror to adjust the straps — your life is definitely worth that extra second.

Be Seen

If you are riding early in the morning before the sun comes up or heading home at dusk, you need front and rear lights on your bike. Wearing bright, reflective clothing also ensures drivers can spot you from a distance.

Follow the Rules

Bicycles must follow the same traffic laws as cars and buses. That means stopping completely at red lights and stop signs, yielding when necessary and riding on the right side of the road in the direction of traffic.

Be Predictable

Don't weave in and out of lanes to show off. Use proper hand signals well in advance to let people know when you are turning and leave a safe distance between yourself and parked cars so you don't get taken out by a suddenly opening car door.

Heads Up: Pedestrian Safety

Walking might seem totally foolproof, but pedestrian crashes happen way too often. You have to actively protect yourself when you are traveling on foot.

First and foremost, stay alert. We all love blasting our favorite playlists or texting our friends while walking, but keeping your eyes on your screen rather than the road is a major hazard.

Keep your head up, avoid distractions and keep the volume low enough to safely hear approaching cars. Your eyes and ears are your absolute best defense.

When it's time to cross the street, always use designated crosswalks or intersections and obey the pedestrian signals. Don't jaywalk just to save a few seconds. Even if you technically have the right of way, look both ways before stepping out into the street. Try to make direct eye contact with drivers to confirm they see you before crossing their path.

Finally, if you're walking somewhere without a sidewalk, always travel on the edge of the road facing oncoming traffic. This gives you the best visual of cars approaching and enough time to move if a vehicle drifts too close.

Behind the Wheel: Driver Responsibilities

If you've recently gotten your driver's license or learner's permit, your responsibilities just leveled up. You are legally required to look out for your passengers and for the people outside your vehicle: they don't have insurance or the protection of airbags and seatbelts.

Check Your Blind Spots

Bicycles and pedestrians are much smaller than cars and can easily hide in your vehicle's blind spots. Always double-check before changing lanes, reversing or making a tight turn.

Slow Down

When you are driving through school zones, busy neighborhoods or parking lots, reduce your speed. Giving yourself extra time to react can be the difference between a close call and a tragedy if a kid darts out into the street unexpectedly.

Ditch the Distractions

Driving is a complex task that requires 100% of your focus. Put your phone away — don't look at it, don't text and don't film. Keep your eyes entirely on the road.

Back Up Carefully

Parking lots are major hotspots for accidents. When backing out of a parking space, go extremely slowly and continuously check your mirrors. If you have a backup camera, use it, but remember to still look over your shoulder and keep an eye out for pedestrians or bikes crossing behind you.