jessestylex

Wow ive been riding around 4 months, and seen many kids just riding in the middle of the road and have no idea what's around them. A few teens I seen run through an intersection and never looked either way. I almost hit one yesterday when he decided to turn around in the road before looking back. I was behind him and get over to pass and before I knew it he u turns right in front of me. We both had to break hard.

And I find it strange when night riding as an adult I have a helmet and lights, these kids are out there with nothing and cant be seen until a car is right on them. And these arent the same kids im talking about , they are everywhere in every neighborhood and bike path I go to. Its clear nobody has ever tought them to safely ride a bike. I could not let my kid go out there like that. Anyone else see this kind of stuff?

Chris516

Typical kids who think they won't get hurt, the way they are riding.

dynodonn 

Unfortunately, our local motorists have taught our local teens and kids about the dangers of not being aware of their surroundings via "the school of hard knocks". With kids and teens and today's social networking, word gets around fast.

RobertHurst

I hardly ever see any kids riding bikes any more.

DX-MAN

There is a HUGE disparity between the numbers of "people with kids" and "PARENTS"; it's a sad and horribly tragic condemnation of our modern society and its insistence on "rights" without "responsibilities". It sounds a little deep for this subject, but given the ease with which someone can DIE by casual inattention, it's actually appropriate.

There are better values our kids can learn besides instant gratification; too bad that so many haven't moved beyond that themselves, and CANNOT teach their kids better.

This has been reinforced in my mind over the last few days, as my 19-y-o nephew graduated HS; his 3 older siblings had varied success with getting the diploma, as did my 2 oldest. I have 2 more coming up (daughter & nephew, 15 & 10), and I am DETERMINED that they reach this milestone. (Oh, YEAH -- they ride with ME exclusively, and are learning the rules of the road...no hood ornaments HERE if I can avoid it!)

I see a lot of kids, mostly 12 & under, on bikes, just meandering all over the streets; teenagers ride when they HAVE to, and show ZERO skills for navigating, care for where & how they're going.... Adults mostly ride big-box crap, ride against traffic at about 5mph, and pretty much defy any attempts at correction ("I'm GROWN, STFU!"). There is a local group, "Trek the Trails", whose purpose is greenway/MUP advocacy, and it's a plus that they do teach safe riding practices. The downside to that is, most of the people who participate in their weekly events aren't using their bikes for transportation.

I'd give a buffalo nickel to roll things back to BEFORE the prevailing thought was, "you're not a teacher, you're not in some POSITION, you can't teach me SH**!", and CHANGE it.

Okay, soapbox put away................

ModeratedUser150120149

Well....it definitely is a mixed bag. I was on a large bike club organized ride yesterday. No one with training wheels. But lots of pre-K and up. Most followed the rules and good sense. But others who did not were like the proverbial feces in the punch bowl.

Personal impacts:
-Road is two lanes with no paved shoulder and a sketchy gravel one. On the edge of the pavement I stopped to drinki. After a few minutes, behind me I hear skidding bike tires. An about 12 year old hadn't been paying attention and almost ran into me. His friends followed in close succession. No other traffic in sight at the time.

-A bit further down the road and about 15 year old passed me on the right in the 6" of pavement between the fog line and the pavement edge. Again, no vehicle traffic.

-On the other hand I passed and was passed by many other kids and adults and all were minding the rules and good sense.

Oh yes, the parent of the kid who almost hit me was angry because I was stopped on the road. Guess where the kid gets his Me Only attitude?

Almost forgot: Recently I've encountered more than one kid playing "chicken". They have smiles on their faces and are looking me right in the eyes as they maneuver their bikes right at me. They do it at places where I literally have no where to go. Generally it is a group of teen boys around the one on a collision course so stopping is not an option. At the last split second they break off.

dynodonn 

The last time I had that happen was on a quieter back street several years ago. Since I travel on busier thoroughfares and take the lane when I encounter a salmon, or a group of them, I seldom encounter that type of "chicken" scenario due to many teens' not wanting to go head to head with oncoming vehicles that maybe behind me.

coolkat

I'm 16, and an avid rider, and it's not just on the road that these teens are oblivious--it's everywhere. At school there's always kids standing around blocking the doors and halls and stuff. Kids walking down the middle of the street, riding down the sidewalk on the wrong side of the street, etc. They just don't pay attention to their surroundings, no matter where they are.
When you're out on the road, though, make sure not to instantly assume that the kid in front is slow and a bad rider. I'm always getting passed by roadies who are going no faster than me (except to pass), and often slow down after passing.

Burton

On the other hand there's a growing 'buck the system' mentality in at least North America and particularly in younger generations. And there are companies catering to and encouraging that mentality by marketing brands like 'STOLEN' bikes, models with names like 'HEIST' and parts with names like 'CONVICT III BARS'. Its only going to get worse as long as antisocial behavior is used as a role model.

Essex

This STLN company sells a model called Heist. IMO - knucklehead advertising for a small niche of riders who wear pants which show off their derrieres. Personal hygiene not withstanding.

I watched the Vimeo video for their bikes - why are some of their riders wearing knit caps in Southern California heat? I just wonder what these guys do for a living?

sudo bike

In other news: water is wet.

Stay tuned for our next story on the sky. Is it blue?

( Just joshing you... but in all seriousness, the "teenage invincibility" is a common thing)

Robert C

I recommend shaking your cane at them. It might not alter their behaviour; but, it might make you feel better.

unterhausen

I think the problem is that people drive like every road is a freeway.

Myosmith

There are a lot of kids and teens (and quite a few adults) who are unsafe ANYWHERE.

lostarchitect 

My favorite one that I have seen a lot of lately: Pedestrians (of all ages) who cross the road and look very carefully---the wrong way! It's amazing. They step right out in front of you looking the other way. Maybe it's just a New York thing, but I have been noticing this one a lot.

bikebreak

I have encountered young teen riders in the street trying to play chicken with me (in car and bike). Simply malicious, and if a kid gets hit doing that I'm sure their parents will sue and the "community" will be outraged.

The more common thing I see is kids riding in the street against traffic or on the sidewalks. I understand why they do that, but it is less safe. I am teaching my kids to ride with vehicle traffic.

Jimi77

Youths are reckless by nature. I remember when I was I young and thought I was indestructible and I pretty behaved the same way.....

Consularrider

Many adults aren't much different.

ModeratedUser150120149

A factor in today's danger vs. what I survived is traffic density. Lots more people around now. So the typical dangerous things I did that really didn't put anyone else involuntarily at risk now involve strangers who really don't want to play.

B. Carfree

I'd say the only things that are different now relative to my youth on our roadways are that there are some older folks riding bikes (it's not just kids, teenagers and college students like it was in the '60s) and the motorists are far less skilled and far more narcissistic. I have even seen/heard these lawless, clueless, unskilled motorists get irate if cyclists weren't in the proper day-glow "uniform" so they could easily see them.

The ethos on our roads has changed from motorists taking responsibility for avoiding avoidable collisions, particularly with children, to motorists feeling that if they manage to stay on the pavement and keep the rubber side down they have met their obligations. I pity the youth of today; there's no room in our world for them to be children, perhaps because our older citizens never really grew up.

RobertHurst

Keep in mind when you look at bicycle crash and injury stats that most 'studies' lump the (strikingly different, much worse) stats for kids right in with the stats for adults like it ain't no thing. This has been a public service announcement.

atbman

How many of these youngsters have had any bike road safety training?

From what I've read, schools, together with local cops and/or experienced riders sometimes do bike rodeos, which rarely, if ever, take the kids on the road. The LABC have a course for children, but that depends, I suspect, solely on whether or not there's any enthusiasm for it and whether or not there's a local LABC qualified trainer.

Here in the UK, there's the national Bikeability scheme, levels 1-3, which does take kids on-road after they've done level 1, with an option to do level 3 as teenagers/adults. Provision of that is patchy since it depends, again, on the availability of trainers and funding and enthusiasm on the part of individual schools.

Given that the US has god knows how many school boards, managers and local setups, it seems unlikely that they will ever arrive at a fairly uniform standard of bike training. So the OP has many years of cycling while watching untrained and clueless youngsters risk their necks on your roads.

Myosmith

atbman has a good point. Too many parents treat a bicycle like a toy rather than a vehicle. They get their kid one for their birthday and turn them loose with no thought to teaching them the skills, rules and etiquette they need on the road. In schools the kids get a pamphlet from law enforcement and a pep talk promoting helmet usage. Kids learn best by example, so without role models, they are left to imitating their peers who know no more than they do. Of all the bike shops and clubs in my region, I know of only one that does a Saturday morning ice cream ride aimed at family cycling and safety education.

delcrossv

Got it in one. Another generation of sidewalk riders coming up. It would be nice if more shops did family classes/rides, and smart too from a "build your base" standpoint.

CommuteCommando

You're just now noticing this? I have slowed my car and become hyper vigilant when seeing a kid on a bike for the last thirty years. The biggest problem is that most kids are taught to ride by clueless adults, most of whom haven't been on a bike since they were kids.