Are you considering letting your child ride on the road by themselves? When is the right time to make the decision to try this type of riding? Let’s take a look at what you need to know to make this a safe, enjoyable experience.
Is the traffic around your place busy? Does the idea of letting your sometimes bad decision maker out onto the road in control of a bike scare you? Are all the roads leading to your kids school jam packed with traffic every morning and afternoon? So why would you want your child to bike on the road by themselves? Â What are the road rules for children cyclists?
The ability for your child to jump on a bike and get out into your community opens up a whole lot of possibilities and is nothing short of liberating. As your child grows the independence that can be had because they are travelling by bike through your community will bring a real sense of achievement and is a great gift you can give them.
So what is the answer to the question; When can a child ride on the road by themselves in NZ?Â
When exactly will depend on the development, skills & awareness your child has as well as your confidence in them and comfort as a parent. The best guide is approximately 10-11 years old. To follow there is a list of things that you will need to solve or that will influence your decision as to when it is right to make this decision for your family.
Bike Skills they MUST have
On road, traffic environments are busy. Anyone choosing to ride a bike in this type of environment needs to be alert and good at reacting. Ask yourself if they are good at making a decision, have they interacted with traffic enough to understand what cars are likely to do on a road? This can involve all sorts of things from crossing a road, to realising how fast a car moves, to having knowledge of intersections/roundabouts.
Can your child take one hand off the handlebars safely so that they can use hand signals – do they know what the hand signals would be?
How is their balance? Could they look over their shoulder for approaching traffic without weaving all over the road?
The biggest determining factor for getting your child onto the road is their ability to concentrate on the task at hand for the entire journey. Regardless of the level of traffic, you have to be confident that they can control their own movements before worrying about what cars may or may not do.
NZ Law & Road Rules
The suggested age for kids to ride on the road by themselves is 11 put this is entirely at your discretion. It is dependant on the type of child you have and the skill levels they possess.
The Official NZ Code for Cylists can be found here online and paper copies should be available from your local council. Please read this yourself and read through it with your child.
What are the rules for younger kids? The footpath limit stated in the NZ Road Code is wheel circumference of 14 inches and under. This covers balance bikes and first toddler bikes. After that, at 16 inches & above it is expected your child will be on the road with an adult to supervise.
Rider Safety & Confidence
Always safety first. Start with route planning. Try to come up with the safest way to get them to their destination. Often this is school. Where you can get them to ride on protected cycle paths and take them away from the busiest traffic spots. Â
Safety & Bike: To make them a confident rider they firstly need a bike that is right for the riding. Is the bike the right size? Does it have gears for any hill climbing, are the brakes reliable? Will you be checking their bike regularly for safety? Can you add lights/reflectors for visibility? Would a bell help them with any sections of their commute?
Practice & Process:  One of the keys to confidently riding a bike is to practice in a safe environment or way before you do it for the first time. The motivation to get kids riding independently is often based around the school commute so during holiday breaks you can practice with them by riding the route you choose as the best with them. Talk through any areas of higher risk, tell them how you check and scan constantly as you ride.
Establish a routine or process so they know exactly what they should be doing without feeling panicked or pressured for time. They should know when they have to leave the house, they should know where their helmet is and how to fit it to their head. They should quickly scan their bike every time they are about to ride. Please read our story which is full of great advice and tips for creating an Independent Rider.
Choose a bright helmet to help them be seen
Consider the route they will take and their daily process
It must be easy & enjoyable for them to continue to ride
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Great website! I have provided some links to it from my own site “Cycling in Chch” (http://cyclingchristchurch.co.nz.)
One minor point though: there is no legal minimum age at which kids are allowed to ride on their own in NZ. About 10-11 years is often suggested, as this is usually about the time that kids are taught cycle skills training and develop better road awareness. But it’s really up to the parents and their own assessment of their children’s skills and abilities.
Thanks for your feedback and comment. We will look to re-word that statement to avoid any confusion. Thanks for the link and your support. Annette.