Tulare County Association of Governments is working to make Tulare County more walkable, bikeable, and rollable than ever before - but even more importantly, TCAG strives to make it safer for everyone on the road. That's why bike, pedestrian, and child passenger safety outreach is a major component in our active transportation programs.
BIKE AND PEDESTRIAN SAFETY
BIKE SAFETY TIPS
1. Always wear a properly fitted helmet when you ride a bike
2. Ride a bike that fits you—not one that is too big or small
3. Do not wear loose clothing when riding a bike. And remember—drawstrings and shoelaces can get caught in your chain and make you fall
4. Have an adult check the air in your tires and make sure your brakes are working before you ride
5. Wear bright clothes so others see you
6. Pay attention and watch for cars, people and bikes around you—never wear headphones while riding your bike
7. Don’t ride at night! If you absolutely have to, make sure your bike has reflectors and lights, and wear reflective materials on your ankles, wrists, back, and helmet
8. Look both ways before you enter any street or intersection to make sure no cars or trucks are coming
9. Learn and follow the rules of the road
ROAD RULES
1. All riders under 18 must wear a helmet
2. When riding in the road, always ride on the right hand side—the same direction as traffic
3. Obey traffic laws, including all traffic signs and signals
4. Ride predictably—don’t weave in and out of traffic
5. When riding on a sidewalk, show respect for people walking on the sidewalk. Ring your bell to let them know you are coming, and always pass on the left
6. Watch for trash, stones, toys, and other debris in your path that may make you fall
BIKE AND PEDESTRIAN SAFETY OUTREACH
TCAG has been hosting multilingual bike safety outreach with our partners - including local school districts, child care services, and law enforcement - for nearly ten years. Popular bike safety outreach strategies have included:
- Safe walking and biking active participation workshops for children and adults, including bike rodeos
- Helmet fitting and distributions for children
- Walk/bike to school day events
- Bike and pedestrian safety school presentations for children
- Multi-sport helmet distribution (as funding permits)
If you think your community or organization could benefit from, or would like to parter with TCAG in producing, a bike and pedestrian safety event, please contact us by clicking the button below.
CHILD PASSENGER SAFETY
CALIFORNIA LAW*
California Vehicle Code 27360 VC
Child Passengers Between the Ages of 8 and 16 (or over 4 feet 9 inches)
- MUST be properly secured in a seat belt
A child is properly secured in a seat belt when:
- The child can sit all the way back against the car seat; and
- The child's knees bend at the edge of the seat without slouching; and
- The lap belt fits snugly across the top of the thighs, not the stomach; and
- The shoulder belt sits at the center of their shoulder and crosses their torso to the opposite hip; and
- The child is behaviorally capable of remaining in this position for the entire trip.
Child Passengers Between the Ages of 2 and 8 (or over forty pounds/40 inches and under 4 feet 9 inches)
- MUST be properly secured in a federally-approved car seat or booster seat
- MUST be secured in the REAR or BACK SEAT
A child is properly secured in a federally-approved car seat or booster seat when:
- The child is secured according to the safety seat manufacturer's instructions; and
- The child and safety seat is secured according to the vehicle's owner's manual; and
- The child is within the safety seat's designated height and weight.
Child Passengers Under the age of 2 and 8 (or under forty pounds and 40 inches)
- MUST be properly secured in a federally-approved REAR-FACING car seat
- MUST be secured in a REAR or BACK SEAT
A child is properly secured in a federally-approved rear-facing car seat when:
- The child is secured according to the safety seat manufacturer's instructions; and
- The child and safety seat is secured according to the vehicle's owner's manual; and
- The child is within the safety seat's designated height and weight.
* Laws, regulations, and best practices are frequently updated. ALWAYS check to be sure you are following current laws and regulations. This is not an exhaustive list of child passenger laws in California and does not constitute legal advice. For resources on current child passenger laws and best practices, visit the California Office of Traffic Safety website by clicking the button below or contact your nearest California Highway Patrol office.
NHTSA Best Practices
By following state child passenger safety laws, you can save hundreds of dollars in fines and penalties. Considering the fact that car accidents are a leading cause of death for children and adolescents, following the law can also help to save your children from serious, or even fatal, injuries in the event of a crash.
State laws provide the legal minimum requirements in transporting child passengers. Additional safety measures can be taken by following National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) best practices guidelines:
- Children should always be secured in a car seat or booster seat appropriate for their weight and height
- Children should remain rear-facing for as long as possible until they reach the weight and height limit designated on their safety seat
- Children should be kept in forward-facing 5-point harness safety seats for as long as possible, until the child outgrows the restraint's hieght or weight limits
- Children under the age of 13 should always ride in the back seat
Good, Better, Best
Ideally, every child would ride in a car following the very best safety practices; but the reality is, the best practices are not always the most practical. Sometimes, two car seats in the back seat will take up all the space, and the 10-year-old sibling can only ride in the front seat. Other times, older cars won't have the proper hardware to properly secure a tethered forward-facing seat with a 5-point harness, so the five year old will need to use a booster seat even though they would fit in a harnessed seat.
Every driver should follow the legal minimum when transporting children, but when it comes to best practices, what works "best" for one family will not always work for another. If you find it confusing, you're not alone - if it were easy, there wouldn't be a 99% car seat misuse rate!
With in-house nationally certified Child Passenger Safety Technicians on staff and a host of local partners, TCAG is always looking for another opportunity to increase child passenger safety in Tulare County. TCAG's child passenger safety interventions include:
- Community car seat checkups
- One-on-one car seat checkups
- Assisting in community partners' car seat checkups
- Car seat safety demonstrations for community groups
- Free car seat distribution (as funding allows)
If you would like to schedule a car seat checkup, or if your organization would like to partner with TCAG in a child passenger safety event, contact TCAG today by clicking the button below.
TCAG unintentional childhood injury prevention interventions are funded in part by the California Department of Public Health's Kids' Plates Program
Credits:
Created with images by Sergey Novikov - "Happy children with their bicycles in summer park" • Clinton - "bike home from school" • hedgehog94 - "Young mother putting her baby boy on a safety child car seat." • hedgehog94 - "Young mother putting her baby boy on a safety child car seat."