CycleSafe Program

“73 per cent of cycling deaths in Canada involve a collision with a motor vehicle.”

– Parachute.ca

Creating Confident Young Cyclists

In 2018, the City of Ottawa reported a catastrophic 226 cyclist injuries and fatalities. In addition to cyclists having a thorough knowledge of road rules, motorists must also understand that bicycles are vehicles under the Highway Traffic Act and are therefore required to respect a cyclist’s right to ride on the road. Education and awareness that starts with our youngest road users can help to play an important role in preventing serious road accidents and fatalities with cyclists.

The Ottawa Safety Council’s CycleSafe program focuses less on cycling skills found in traditional bike rodeos and more on essential safety concepts that will increase children’s safety awareness, equipping them with the knowledge they will need to face the realities of sharing our roads while cycling. Teaching children to be confident, aware, and safe road users and cyclists at an early age can reduce their risk of road related injury and fatality later in life. The CycleSafe course for children includes showing young cyclists defensive riding skills such as anticipating and understanding other road users’ perspectives and actions (i.e., selective attention, how to cycle near parked cars, where to position yourself on the road to be seen), riding according to the weather conditions and terrain, communicating with other road users, hazard scanning, intersections/driveway safety, right of way, making yourself easy to be seen and be heard, and always wearing a CSA-approved bicycle helmet.