The kid gets a bike this Christmas
By Cindy Kent
Staff Writer
We bought The Kid a bicycle for Christmas.
I'm really excited about it -- because together and with family and friends, we'll be tooling all over the place.
But I am taking this fun activity with my 12-year old son very seriously too.
According to 2006 Florida traffic crash statistics 124 bicyclists were killed statewide and 4,227 bicyclists were injured.
We'll enroll in police-sponsored bicycling safety classes. Helmets are a must. Lights and reflectors are part of the garb. We'll rack the bikes on the car and drive to parks and recreation areas for a safer riding environment.
I know that all the precautions in the world sometimes cannot prevent a tragedy. But setting good examples, sharing as much information as possible and providing the right kind of equipment and safety gear can help to minimize those odds.
On a lighter note - -he's getting the self-powered vehicle before Christmas -- OK, he got it this week. The reason for this is that we'll have time during upcoming school breaks to take some rides as we take time off from work and school to celebrate the holidays.
The best gift of all has already been unwrapped -- time together.
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