When I was a young child, about 7 years old, I came face-to-face with death for the first time in my life.  It was awful.

            A friend from my local Catholic grade school was killed by an automobile right in front of the school at night.  He did not have any lights on his bicycle and the driver of the automobile claimed he just did not see him.

            My friend’s picture was on the front page of the local paper, the Washington Times-Herald, the following morning.  It was so eerie staring at that picture of a smiling young boy who was no longer to be seen smiling – or to be seen, period. 

            I had to go to the site of the accident and gaze at the ugly accident stains on the road that this kind of incident always leaves behind.  I tried to picture what happened, how it happened, the moment it happened.  I couldn’t

            Would bike safety lights have made a difference?  The newspaper story seemed to say that, without trying to blame the parents or anyone else.  I remember a quote in the newspaper article from the investigating police officer: “Unfortunately, too often these horrible accidents happen when bicyclists have no bike safety lights to alert drivers.”

            I never forgot that smiling, handsome little face staring out at me from the front page of the newspaper.

            The statistics help fill out the story line.  “Children ages 14 and under are more likely to be injured riding in non-daylight hours (e.g., dawn, dusk or night).  The risk of sustaining an injury during non-daylight conditions is nearly four times greater than the daytime.”  That’s from one child safety organization.

            No doubt bike safety lights should be on children’s bicycles if they are allowed to go out in the evening, whether it’s dusk or night-time.  I made sure that they were placed on my three children’s bicycles when they reached the cycling age.

            But parents’ responsibility for their children’s safety on bicycles doesn’t end with adding bike safety lights.  Children have to be carefully taught the rules of the road and constantly reminded about the importance of following all of the safety rules. 

Unfortunately, too many children either haven’t been taught or don’t pay attention, according to a report on bike safety.  “Among children 14 and under,” it states, “more than 80 percent of bicycle-related fatalities are associated with the bicyclist’s behavior.  The most common crashes include riding into a street without stopping; turning left or swerving into traffic that is coming from behind; running a stop sign, and riding against the flow of traffic.”

Parents represent the most important influence on children’s bicycling habits.  Yes, do apply the bike safety lights, but never let up on reminding them of the critical importance of the safety rules of the road.  You don’t want your child’s photo on the front page of your local newspaper. You can find the proper safety lights at www.yoursecurityandsafety.com/bikesafetylights.htm.