back search

hantsweb

Road Safety

Cycle training for children

Hampshire County Council has a commitment to encourage more pupils to travel to school in a safer, more sustainable, and where possible, healthier way to school.

Cycling can be one of the choices available to pupils and their families either for this journey or for leisure activities, and so to support this choice, we provide pupils with the opportunity to undertake Bikeability Level 2 and 3 cycle training. Bikeability Level 2 is available to Years 5, 6 and 7 and the more advanced Level 3 is available to children in Years 7, 8 and 9 that have already achieved Level 2 standard.

Our programme aims to develop children as responsible and safe cyclists and to help them understand how they can help to protect themselves on the road by wearing a helmet and bright clothing.

Bikeability

Bikeability is the Cycling Proficiency Test for the 21st century, designed to give the next generation the skills and confidence to ride their bikes on today's roads. Bikeability was developed by more than 20 professional organisations including the Royal Society for Prevention of Accidents and is supported by the Government.

Hampshire County Council’s road safety team have been awarded a further grant of £350,000 from the Department for Transport to continue to provide Bikeability cycle training to Years 5 - 9 children across the county between April 2012 and March 2013.

Training is provided on our behalf by Hampshire Schools Cycling Partnership, which is a consortium consisting of Mountbatten School, Pedal Power Training, Bridgemary School and British Cycling.

Each member of the Hampshire Schools Cycling Partnership is actively involved in the delivery of Bikeability training in Hampshire or has a remit for national cycle promotion and engagement.

For further information about the Bikeability scheme please visit www.dft.gov.uk/bikeability

Video Clips

Here are two short films in which parents and teachers share their experiences of the Bikeability cycle training scheme:

Parents: http://www.youtube.com/user/transportgovuk?feature=watch#p/c/1/aKxFIiTRS9c

Teachers: http://www.youtube.com/user/transportgovuk?feature=watch#p/c/2/Gj44JmWXHwI

If you would like more information please contact the Road Safety Team on 01962 846100 or email road.safety@hants.gov.uk

Who is responsible for my child's safety travelling to and from school?

The responsibility for the child’s safety on the school journey lies with the parent, however parents will often look to the school and local authority for guidance.

Children under 10 don't have the ability to judge speed and distance accurately

Research data shows that children under the age of 10 do not have the ability to accurately judge speed and distance. Their spatial awareness skills have not advanced to the point where their safety is sufficiently assured, even when accompanied. For this reason cycle training is usually offered to children aged 10 – 11 years old (in school years 5 or 6).

The Road Safety Team realise that a number of parents would like their children to cycle to school. With this in mind the recommendations should be considered but ultimately the decision as to whether your child is competent to safely negotiate such hazards as may present themselves on the route from home to school and back is the parents responsibility.

Road Safety offers Bikeability Level 2 training

To help with this decision, the Road Safety Team offer Bikeability Level 2 training to Year 5 & 6 students. It should be noted that training is carried out in controlled conditions and, even if your child has achieved all of the Level 2 outcomes, this does not always mean that the child will be safe in every situation.

The Road Safety Team strongly recommend the use of a correctly fitting cycle helmet. Further information is available in a Department for Transport report: The Potential for Cycle Helmets to Prevent Injury: a review of the evidence.

Cycle Permits

Schools may wish to consider setting up a Cycle Permit scheme which sets out the rights and responsibilities for pupils wishing to cycle to and from school. When a child signs the Cycle Permit, also signed by a parent and the school, they are signing a contract to adhere to the schools code of conduct when they bring their bike to school.

Links to examples of school cycle guidelines can be found below:

Example 1

Example 2