Canadian Cycling Association CAN-BIKE Program
Ages 6 - 9 (May be introduced at age 5)
Smart
Cycling is an educational kit designed to introduce the fundamentals of
cycling safely to elementary school students. This is an introductory
course designed for classroom use. The course encourages students to treat
their bicycles as a vehicle, illustrate to them how to care for their
bikes and teach basic traffic concepts and cycling skills.
Cycling safety is a serious matter. Accident rate data suggest that cyclists under the age of 15 are at fault in 85% of bicycle-car mishaps. A study by CAIRE, an association of four large Canadian hospitals, shows that bicycle injuries are the most common summer injuries to children.
Smart Cycling is an educational program designed to introduce the fundamentals of cycling safety to elementary school students. The program has been developed with the help of curriculum specialists, teachers and safety experts. Materials encourage students to treat their bicycles as vehicles, illustrate to them how to care for their bikes and teach basic traffic concepts and cycling skills.
While Smart Cycling is an introductory course designed for classroom use, teachers and parents are encouraged to follow it up with on-bike lessons. Other resources are available to guide hands-on cycling activities for the school yard. On-road lessons can provide the ultimate learning experience for young cyclists. However, teaching on the road is very demanding. It requires a highly-skilled instructor and assistants and a low student-to-teacher ratio.
We do not want to encourage false expectations about the capabilities of young cyclists. The ability to balance a bike is only the first step. Many children appear to have good bicycle handling skills but generally they do not have the ability to make good decisions about their safety. Children under the age of nine do not have the perceptual skills to be able to judge traffic speed, imagine traffic from another road user's point of view, or understand the reasons for traffic laws. Young cyclists (under age nine) should be supervised by an adult whenever they ride.
To be truly
effective, bicycle education must be an ongoing activity.
The basic goals of the course are:
- to promote awareness of traffic cycling safety;
- to encourage safe riding and maintenance skills; and
- to illustrate fundamentals of cycling in residential areas and low-traffic, two-lane roads.
By providing materials to foster an understanding of traffic cycling principles, students learn to enjoy safer and accident-free cycling.
This course constitutes one of the first levels of the Canadian Cycling Association's CAN-BIKE program of cycling education. It is designed for use in school, recreation development and recreational activity organization programs.
The course
is designed to be taught in five one-hour sessions.
Course Outline
|
Unit |
Unit Title |
Contents |
|
1 |
Using the video program |
Optional video(s). |
|
2 |
The bicycle and accessories |
Types of bicycles; |
|
3 |
Mechanics of the bicycle |
How a bicycle
works; |
|
4 |
The bicycle as a vehicle |
Accident problems
and rules of the road; |
|
5 |
Cycling hazards |
Road surface
problems; |
Participant Requirements
There is
no on-bike instruction provided with Smart Cycling. Participants need
only an interest in cycling and, preferably, regularly ride bicycles at
home or to school. For ages 6 - 9 (may be introduced at age 5).
Instructors
Nationally
certified CAN-BIKE instructors, all experienced cyclists, teach all courses.
Many more instructors are required for future demand. Contact Borealis
Outdoor Adventure or the Saskatchewan Cycling Association for information
about becoming an instructor.
Classroom requirements
Blackboard and chalk, TV/VCR, Overhead projector
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a PDF Version of this page
For more information:
Borealis
Outdoor Adventure
3120
8th Street East #106-305
Saskatoon,
SK S7H 0W2
Phone:
(306) 343-6399 or 1-800-463-6399
- CAN-BIKE
Hotline
Phone: (306) 978-BIKE (978-2453) or
Toll-Free: 1-888-CAN-BIKE (1-888-226-2453)
Borealis
Outdoor Adventure
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