How to keep children visible on their bikes
Whether your child cycles home from an after-school club or sets off in the early hours of the morning, keeping them visible on or near the road is essential for their safety. Children can be harder to spot than adult cyclists, particularly in low-light conditions, which is why prioritising visibility and safe cycling habits matters. Ensure your child wears bright, reflective clothing, uses appropriate lights and rides in a predictable way, so that other road users can spot them and anticipate their movements.
1. Cycling predictably
To help other road users understand what they’re going to do next, it’s important that children cycle in a predictable way rather than suddenly moving into the road or changing speed or direction without warning. Some of the best ways of making their movements and intentions clear are by maintaining a steady road position, signalling clearly when appropriate, and following road signs and markings.
Any cyclist should always check behind before moving or changing directions. It can also be useful to make eye contact with drivers where possible, but children shouldn’t assume that eye contact means a driver has seen them, or will give way.
If your child needs to communicate to other road users, they can do so by learning some simple hand signals:
- Left turn: Extend their left arm sideways.
- Right turn: Extend the left arm sideways, bent at a 90-degree angle at the elbow, palm facing forward, or extend the right arm sideways.
- Stopping or slowing: Extend either arm sideways and bend at a 90-degree angle at the elbow, palm facing backwards.
2. Choosing a visible, suitable route
Another way to enhance their safety is by choosing the right route to travel along as the shortest one isn’t necessarily the most suitable. Where possible, choose quieter roads, dedicated cycle routes or routes your child is familiar and confident with.
Remind them to take particular care when approaching junctions or crossing a road, where their view of other road users may be restricted by parked cars, buildings, bends or other obstructions. These can also make it harder for drivers to spot cyclists.
3. Wearing bright and reflective clothing
One way of improving your child’s visibility is by choosing bright, high-visibility cycling clothing. It’s worth noting that fluorescent colours work best in daylight or low-light conditions whereas reflective materials are best for illumination by headlights or other light sources in darkness. Combining the two can offer broader visibility across a wider range of conditions.
If they’re travelling to school, make sure items such as backpacks don’t cover reflective or high-visibility details on their clothing. In fact, accessories such as a hi-vis backpack cover can add to their safety rather than risk compromising it.
A hi-vis safety vest can be worn over a school uniform to help improve road visibility, and at Halfords we carry kids’ safety vests in a range of colours, including green, pink, orange, yellow and rainbow to make their safety feel a touch more personalised.
For wet-weather days, the Altura Kids Cycle Jacket is a great option to keep them protected from the elements while they ride. Plus, with the added reflective details, a hi-vis jacket can further support visibility on the roads. Alternatively, for hotter days, a simple hi-vis slap wrap can provide an additional source of reflection at the arm, helping improve visibility from the side.
Visibility is only one part of cycling safety, so children should wear a properly fitted cycle helmet and other protective equipment such as kids pad sets, depending on their age and level of skill. You could also consider a wearable or helmet light as an additional visibility aid, although it shouldn’t replace the required front and rear bike lights.
4. Make the bike visible from every angle
Once your child has their clothing and other visibility essentials sorted, it’s time to make sure the bike itself is easy to see. The best bike lights being a white front light and a red rear light to illuminate their way ahead as well as signal the rider’s presence to traffic.
Reflectors are another useful and affordable way to improve visibility, as they reflect lights from approaching vehicles back towards the source. Reflective elements on the wheels and pedals can also help make the bike more noticeable, including the Halfords Multi Pattern Bike Wheel Lights which creates up to 30 different fun patterns, making it a fun addition to your child’s bike.
5. Bike checks
Before they head out, be sure to carry out the essential bike checks to keep them cycling safely. Aside from double-checking their front and rear lights and reflectors are clean, working and securely attached, you should also inspect their:
- Brakes: Squeeze both brake levers to make sure they work and aren’t excessively loose.
- Tyres: Check they’re inflated to the correct pressure and don’t have any obvious cuts, cracks or wear.
- Helmet: Check it’s properly fitted, secure and not damaged.
Remind your young cyclist not to let any bags or coats obscure their lights so they can shine as brightly as possible. If they’re battery-powered, it may be worth considering packing some spares in case they run out mid-journey.
As the evenings get darker, a few simple precautions can make a big difference to your child’s visibility. From bright and reflective clothing to working front and rear bike lights, make sure they’re easy for other road users to spot from every angle.
With the right visibility essentials and safe cycling habits, your child can stay safer and more confident on their bike as the nights draw in.
