Safety Tips

• Rules of the Road: Learn Hand Signs for Road Safety 

• How to Get Your Child to Wear a Bike Helmet "Riding a bicycle is an excellent way for kids to spend time outdoors getting exercise. It's also an Earth friendly way to get around. Falls from bicycles cause serious head and facial injuries, though, so make sure your child wears a helmet for every ride.
  
  Here are tips on how to help your child get into the habit."

General Tips for Stress-Free Travel

• Don't feel like you have to change 100% of your habits immediately. If you don't usually walk or cycle, then start with one day a week, or just mornings or just afternoons, then build your muscles. Slowly challenge yourself to do more, or choose transport mode according to where else you will need to go on a given day, or with respect to weather conditions.

• Try a test trip to places like school or your doctor's office before your scheduled visit. This will let you know if you need to add more time for to cross at intersections, or if a short cut through a park will let you cut off a few minutes that would have been spent sitting in traffic with your regular drive.

• Bring water and a snack for long trips. 

• Wear appropriate protection. A sun hat or cap, umbrella, rain coat, and appropriate shoes or warm clothes can make the difference between a fun journey and extreme discomfort. Check the weather in case a cold front or storm hit in the afternoon.

• Use map or app if you are in a new place.

• Take breaks! This is especially important if you have a smaller child, or one of you isn't used to the new mode of travel. 

Similar Types of Transit

Bicycle Sidecars

Wheelchair Tandem Bikes

These are great options for a competent cyclist to transport children, elderly people, people with limited mobility, or those who otherwise might not be able to enjoy cycling.

International

• Safe Kids Worldwide® "is a nonprofit organization working to help families and communities keep kids safe from injuries. Most people are surprised to learn preventable injuries are the #1 killer of kids in the United States. Throughout the world, almost one million children die of an injury each year, and almost every one of these tragedies is preventable.
  
  Safe Kids works with an extensive network of more than 400 coalitions in the United States and with partners in more than 30 countries to reduce traffic injuries, drownings, falls, burns, poisonings and more."

• TUMI "supports transport projects all around the world and enables policy makers to transform urban mobility. TUMI is based on three pilars: innovation, knowledge, investment. We support innovative pilot projects around the whole world. We share knowledge with planners about modern mobility concepts, in workshops and conferences. We invest in construction and modernisation of sustainable urban infrastructure."

North America

• National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO) "NACTO’s mission is to build cities as places for people, with safe, sustainable, accessible, and equitable transportation choices that support a strong economy and vibrant quality of life."

• Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center (PBIC) is a national clearinghouse for information about health and safety, engineering, advocacy, education, enforcement, access, and mobility for pedestrians (including transit users) and bicyclists. PBIC's mission is to improve the quality of life in communities through the increase of safe walking and bicycling as a viable means of transportation and physical activity. To accomplish that mission, the PBIC manages several websites, produces a variety of reports, guides and case studies, and offers training and technical assistance.

• Walk Friendly Communities is a national recognition program developed to encourage towns and cities across the U.S. to establish or recommit to a high priority for supporting safer walking environments. Communities are recognized for working to improve a wide range of conditions related to walking, including safety, mobility, access and comfort.

USA

• National Complete Streets Coalition News of complete streets activities from around the country and proposed federal legislation plus resources including fact sheets and a PowerPoint presentation.

New York

Maps

North America

USA

• Walk Friendly Community Map "A Walk Friendly Community is a city or town that has shown a commitment to improving and sustaining walkability and pedestrian safety through comprehensive programs, plans, and policies. Communities apply to the program to receive recognition in the form of a Bronze, Silver, Gold, or Platinum designation. [With this map] you can sort and view profiles for communities that have been designated since the program began in 2011."

Washington

• Explore the Walkability of DC Neighborhoods (Interactive) "Select a neighborhood to learn more about who lives in that community"

Companies

International

• MAXPRO cargo bikes, pedicabs, and parts store.

Europe

• MAXPRO cargo bikes, pedicabs, and parts store.

Poland

• MAXPRO cargo bikes, pedicabs, and parts store.

Further Reading

You may also be interested in the following.