Children are cycling to school again en masse: in these municipalities it is safest to cycle | Family

There are 8628 bicycle accidents per year in the Netherlands. Where most accidents take place varies greatly by region, according to research of comparison and advice platform Independer based on data from Rijkswaterstaat. With over 2400 bicycle accidents in built-up areas, South Holland is the most unsafe province for cyclists, while Drenthe is the most bicycle-safe province with ‘only’ 2.5 registered bicycle accidents per 10,000 inhabitants. According to Independer, it is striking that many accidents involving cyclists occur in and near coastal towns. How do you prevent those accidents? It is important that parents teach their children to cycle safely from the start and prepare them well for traffic, even when they are older,” says Douwtje de Vries. She is head of communication at the Fietsersbond, a Dutch party that represents the interests of cyclists.

Letting children cycle safely starts with a safe bicycle. Buying a bicycle ‘on the road’ is not wise, because children often feel less confident on a bicycle that is too large. It is also dangerous, because a child must be able to stand with his feet flat on the ground in order to be able to stop quickly. We recommend a bicycle with both a coaster brake and a hand brake, but if you do choose one type of brake, go for the coaster brake. A handbrake is even too heavy or more difficult for some children to use, while a back-pedal brake almost goes without saying.” As a parent, regularly perform a technical check on your child’s bicycle, says De Vries. “Do the brakes work well, is the lighting good, is the chain guard still around it, that sort of thing.”

A heavy backpack with books on the back of the bike can also create risks on the way. De Vries understands that adolescents do not want to cycle with bicycle bags, but never hang the bag on your handlebars. “A crate or rack at the front or back of the bicycle is a safe option. If you only use the luggage carrier with straps, you have to make sure that no straps of your bag can twist between the spokes or around the rear axle. Also try not to make your book bag too heavy. It all sounds obvious, but it is important to stay alert to that.” A bicycle helmet is not mandatory in the Netherlands, but according to De Vries, more and more parents and older people are opting for this option. “We have not yet investigated it, but we know that bicycle helmets for children are increasingly being chosen.”

In addition to a safe bicycle, choosing a safe route is also important. Choose a safe route rather than a shorter route. For example, are there certain dangerous intersections or places where you drive very close to the cars that you can avoid? We advise parents to cycle the (new) route to school together a number of times. Think about the potentially unsafe places and practice how to act safely here.”

As a final piece of advice, De Vries would like to advise parents to ensure that children leave home on time. Rushing in traffic leads to dangerous situations more quickly, such as cycling through a red light for a short time, and for less power of observation.”

There is sometimes confusion about who is responsible in a bicycle accident, says Menno Dijcks, car insurance expert at Independer. In the event of a collision between a motor vehicle and a weak road user, such as a cyclist or pedestrian, the driver of the motor vehicle is normally liable. There are exceptional cases, but the weak road user is legally protected. In the situation in which the motorist is liable for the collision with the cyclist, the mandatory third-party liability insurance pays 100 percent of the damage suffered by the cyclist.”