Training for wheels

In this photograph supplied by the University of Iowa, the university uses a computer-driven simulator to test children's reaction times on bicycles. (The Pantagraph/CARLOS T. MIRANDA)

Monday, April 21, 2008 2:47 PM CDT

By Scott Richardson
srichardson@pantagraph.com

Bikes mean freedom to kids. They feel what it's like to be on the own the first time they pedal away from their moms and dads on two wheels.

Bikes are a great workout. In 1964 when one out of every two kids rode a bike to school, the child obesity rate was 12 percent. The obesity rate climbed to 45 percent in 2004 when just 3 percent rode bikes to school.

Bikes also are a terrific way for families to spend time together outside.

But parents should be aware of this critical piece of data revealed in tests at the University of Iowa: Though kids often make the same decisions as adults about when it's safe to cross streets on bikes, younger riders don't get the mission accomplished as fast, according to researcher Jodie Plumert of the university's department of psychology.

The difference may simply be how well older people and children ride bikes, she said. Adults get ready to cross the street and then look for a safe time to go. Kids look for a safe time to go before turning their pedals to the right position to start off. Vehicles can be dangerously close by then. The result is a critical loss of precious seconds that can put a child in harm's way, she said.

"What looks like a good gap (in traffic) to kids might be too small for safe crossing," said Plumert during a recent presentation at Illinois State University on how immature perceptual and cognitive skills put child cyclists at risk for injury. "One component of safety training should be movement preparation strategies."

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says 44,000 cyclists were injured in crashes involving motor vehicles in 2006, the last year with complete data. About a quarter, or an estimated 11,000, were 14 and younger. More children go to emergency rooms for bicycle-related crashes than for any other sport.

But cycling safety is apparently improving. Of the 773 cyclists deaths the NHTSI counted that same year, the 98 for the 14-and-under age group was a decrease of 56 percent from 10 years earlier.

Plumert, who has a bike-riding daughter of her own, thinks the number of deaths and injuries can be reduced even more. To study how, Plumert first scanned research on how well children do other tasks and why they fail in their attempts at times. Earlier studies showed kids ages 6-8 had a tendency to be hurt when they overestimated their ability to do things like step across gaps or move over or under objects.

"They think they can climb that tree, but they can't," she said.

The risk rises when children are asked to time their movements relative to vehicles. Earlier studies showed kids on foot were "struck" 6 percent of the time when they crossed a simulated street scene. Five-year-olds made safe crossings only two-thirds of the time. Three out of four of the 5-year-olds and more than half the 9-year-olds were "hit" at least once.

To test how kids do with bikes, Plumert teamed with a computer scientist and a mechanical engineer to design an interactive cycling simulator. They mount a bicycle on a cycling trainer and hook it to a computer that simulates how the bike would move based on the how fast it's pedaled.

The bicycle is surrounded with large projection screens on three sides that enable researchers to immerse cyclists in real-life scenes. They seem to go forward when they pedal and turn when they twist the handlebars. Simulated "cars" come from one direction. Researchers can adjust the speed of each one and the gaps between vehicles from 1.5 to 4.5 seconds. Test subjects stop at each intersection and cross when they think it's safe to go. Timing and success rates are recorded.

Researchers discovered kids ages 8 to 10 and adults chose the same gaps in traffic as safe, but children crossed the road with less time to spare. Children were "hit" 2 to 3 percent of the time.

"Kids delayed initialization of crossing," Plumert said. "They perceive similarly, but there are marked differences in when the kids acted on the information."

Plumert said the problem could be difficulty in synchronizing their movements with the approaching traffic due to factors like not having their pedals in the proper place when it's time to go. A foot may slip off a pedal. They also tend to watch traffic approach. When they turn their heads in the direction of the car, their bikes don't go straight. That makes the trip across the street a bit farther.

The problem compounds if high-density traffic prevents crossing for a while: cyclists of all ages tend to take more risks the longer their progress is delayed, she said. Cyclists may become impatient, or they may merely be learning how to cross the street faster and more safely over time, she said.

What's it mean?

Plumert said the research has important implications for how parents should teach children to cross streets on bikes. Among her suggestions;

• Don't lead children, follow them. Let kids tell you when they think it's safe to cross a street and correct them when they're wrong. They learn far more making the decisions themselves than if parents make the decisions for them. Given differences in cycling ability, it's not surprising parents in the lead cross a street only to turn to see their kids still exposed to traffic.

• Teach kids to get their bikes ready to cross a street before they pick a gap in traffic. As an alternative, teach them to walk their bikes across the streets.

"If they walk the bikes, they change back to pedestrians. They have more experience with that. I think it makes sense," Plumert said.

• According to results of her study, the "right" gap should be longer than what both parents and children consider safe;

• Ride with kids often and repeat the lessons many times.

"Training is long term. Don't expect they have it down after an hour," she said.

In Illinois, the League of Illinois Bicyclists recently received a grant to train bike safety teachers. The league also is sending one-page bike-safety tip sheets home with fourth-graders throughout the state in May. LIB executive director Ed Barsotti said he would love to see Illinois follow the example of Texas or Marion County, Calif., where bike safety is part of the curriculum.

"There are examples here and there, but it's clear with all the other activities we bring to kids, we should bring bike safety. It lasts a lifetime," Barsotti said.

Be safe

Here are some cycling safety tips from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration:

• Wear a helmet. Head injuries are the most serious type of injury and the most common cause of death for bicyclists.

• Make sure your bike "fits" you. You should be able to stand over the bike with a few inches to spare.

• Inspect your bike to make sure all parts are secure and working properly. Inflate tires and check the brakes.

• Dress to be seen. Wearing white has not been shown to make you more visible. Wear neon, fluorescent or other bright colors when riding day or night. Wear reflective tape or markings. Use flashing lights and headlights at night.

• Control your bicycle. Always ride with at least one hand on the handlebars. Carry books and other items in a bicycle carrier or backpack.

• Watch for road hazards, such as potholes, broken glass, gravel, puddles, leaves, and dogs.

• With the exception of children under 10, the safest place for bicycle riding is on the street, where bicycles are expected to follow the same rules of the road as motorists and ride in the same direction. Ride on the right in the same direction as other vehicles. Go with the flow -- not against it.

• Be predictable. Ride in a straight line, not in and out of cars. Signal your moves to others. Obey traffic laws. Many crashes are caused by the cyclist's behavior, including riding into a street from a driveway without stopping, turning left or swerving into traffic that is coming from behind, running a stop sign and riding the wrong way.

• A new Illinois state law requires motorists to give cyclists at least 3 feet of clearance when passing.

• For more information on bicycle safety, visit the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Web site at www.nhtsa.dot.gov