Students in the San Dieguito Union High School District must complete bike safety training before they can bring their bikes to school. That’s according to a new policy in place this school year.
After students complete a safety training program, their parents can fill out a form requesting a bike tag from the district. The tag allows students to bring their bikes to campus.
“We want kids to be able to get to school in a safe manner, and we want them to get home in a safe manner, whether they walk, ride a bike, ride an e-bike or ride in a car,” said Bryan Marcus, the district’s associate superintendent of educational services.
On Monday, more than 2,700 middle school students attended the training at their schools. Staff with the San Diego County Bike Coalition led them.
Schools are great places to teach kids about bike safety, especially as e-bikes become more popular, said Kevin Baross, the coalition’s education manager.
“E-bikes are getting cheaper, e-bikes are getting lighter, e-bikes are getting more accessible, and frankly, they're not going anywhere,” he said. “Making sure that people are using them in the right way, in a way that makes everybody safer and more comfortable, is a good idea.”
The San Dieguito school district’s new policy comes as cities adopt their own e-bike rules. The district has schools in multiple cities, including Encinitas, Del Mar and Carlsbad.
Kids under 12 can’t ride e-bikes in Carlsbad. They can in Encinitas.
There are important skills to learn no matter where or what you’re riding, Baross said, like staying visible to drivers.
“If you're a kid that rides a bike, if you're a kid that rides an e-bike, scooter, skateboard, roller skates, rollerblades, there's some fundamental stuff,” Baross said. “Be predictable. Communicate. Make it so people know what you’re going to do in some way.”
The safety lessons focus on helmet safety, following the rules of the road and staying visible to drivers.
Baross said one way parents can help is by narrating what they’re doing when they drive.
“Kids are paying attention to the way you drive,” he said. “You can be very clear about, like, ‘Look, I'm making a left turn, and I'm making sure to look here, and I'm looking here before I make that turn.’”
He said that can help kids know how to keep all road users safe, whether they’re walking, in cars or on bikes.
The San Diego County Bike Coalition also offers three-hour classes on safe city cycling. Their next class in Encinitas is on Saturday, Aug. 22 at 1 p.m.
