A new report says that injury-related deaths among children 14 and under
have fallen since 1994, but Canadian kids still face many hazards. Safe
Kids Canada released its first national survey on child safety on Thursday.

Part of the report states that children under 10 must not be allowed to
ride on the road. It was my impression that children between 8 and 10
are capable of riding on the road in some traffic environments and under
supervision.

Does anyone know of any research or experience in this area, besides the
one reference cited in the report? Is anyone familiar with the cited
reference?

On page 18, the SafeKids report states:
"Keep children under age 10 off the road. Riding a bike near motor
vehicles requires a complex set of skills that children develop slowly
between ages 10 and 14. (114) They must be able to balance the bike,
signal, and pay attention to vehicles at the same time. A child’s brain
cannot manage this combination of physical and mental skills before age
10, at the earliest. The ability to juggle these tasks around traffic
may be a particular challenge for children in a high-risk situation."

Download the report here:
http://www.sickkids.ca/SKCForPartners/custom/SKW06NationalReportENG.pdf

The reference cited (114) is: Leblanc J, Huybers S. “Improving Bicycle
Safety: The Role of Pediatricians and Family Physicians.” Paediatric
Child Health 2004; 9(5):315-318. The abstract states:
Cycling is a complex activity requiring motor, sensory and cognitive
skills that develop at different rates from childhood to adolescence.
While children can successfully ride a two-wheeled bicycle at age five
or six, judgment of road hazards are poor at that age and matures slowly
until adult-like judgment is reached in early adolescence. Safe cycling
depends on the care, skills and judgment of cyclists and motorists;
roadway design that promotes safe coexistence of bicycles and motor
vehicles; and the use of safety devices, including bicycle helmets,
lights and reflective tape. Whereas, research into optimal roadway
design and educational programs for drivers to improve road safety has
yielded contradictory results, the benefits of bicycle helmet use and
programs to enhance their use have been clearly shown. This paper has
the following objectives for paediatricians and family physicians:
1. To understand the relationship between bicycle safety and children’s
motor and cognitive skills.
2. To understand the effectiveness and limitations of strategies to
improve bicycle safety.
3. To describe activities to promote bicycle safety that physicians can
undertake in clinical settings and in the community.



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Darrell Noakes
Saskatoon, SK CANADA
www.BorealisOutdoor.com <http://www.BorealisOutdoor.com>
www.SaskatoonCyclingClub.ca <http://www.SaskatoonCyclingClub.ca>
Skype me! <callto://BorealisOutdoor>

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