It's a beautiful day and the kids are home from school. It's a perfect day for a family bike ride, right?

Before you and the kids rush out and start pedaling, there's another factor you need to consider - safety. Read on to find out why bicycle safety is so important and what you need to know to keep your kids safe.

Why Is It Important to Be Safe While Biking?
Each year in the United States, about 900 people die in bicycle-related accidents, and about a quarter are children between the ages of 5 and 14. And more than 1 million children receive medical treatment for biking-related injuries each year.

Although most automobile/bicycle accidents involving adult cyclists are caused by the motorist, most of those involving child bikers are caused by the child. Young children may have difficulty understanding the rules of the road, but many of these accidents can be avoided by obeying bike safety rules and exercising caution while riding in traffic.

All cyclists should follow standard safety precautions. As an adult, you've probably already experienced the dangers of getting your pants caught in the bike chain, having brakes that fail to grip in the rain, or smacking the pavement when your gears unexpectedly slip. You may not be able to keep your kids from having the same accidents, but it's up to you to pass your knowledge and experience down to your children as they learn to ride.

Riding With Young Children
When your child is very young, a smart way to teach her bicycle safety is by example. Today's child safety carriers and other options give you the opportunity to spend quality time with your child while introducing her to the open road. However, your child must always wear a helmet and should be at least 1 year old before you take her for a ride. Be a positive role model (and protect your own head) by wearing your own helmet, too.

Trailers
A trailer is one of the safest ways to take a young child for a spin. Hitched to your bicycle, a trailer is a low, mesh-covered seat that is supported by two wheels for greater stability. The trailer's sturdy frame provides accident protection, and because your child is riding 1 to 2 feet (30.5 to 61 centimeters) behind your bike's rear wheel, spokes are out of reach. Another safety bonus is that trailers ride near to the ground, so if your bike falls over, your child won't tumble very far.

A word of caution: the trailer is wider than your bike, so one of the trailer's wheels could slip off the road's edge if you're not careful. Also, the trailer could overturn after hitting a bump, if one wheel rides a curb, or if your bicycle turns sharply.

When shopping, look for a trailer with a shoulder harness and lap belt to secure your child. The hitch to your bike should have a flexible joint that allows the trailer to stay upright if your bike falls. Even so, your child will need to wear a bicycle helmet while riding in the trailer. Attach a tall red warning flag to the trailer for increased visibility and make sure the trailer has reflectors.

Trailers range in price from $150 to over $500 (all prices in U.S. dollars).

Child Seats
Consider a frame-mounted seat for your toddler. Child seats fasten above your bike's rear wheel, giving your child a higher vantage point.

On the down side, the added weight of carrying a child in a seat increases brake time and compromises balance and handling.

Look for a seat with a back high enough to support your child's neck and guards that prevent your child's feet from touching your rear wheel. Seats should have a lap belt with a childproof buckle and a shoulder harness. And your child will need to wear a bicycle helmet.

Child seats range in price from $40 to $125.

Trailer-Cycles and Tandems
When your youngster outgrows a trailer or child seat but is too young to start riding alone, you can turn your bike into a makeshift tandem with a trailer-cycle. Resembling a small bicycle with no front wheel, a trailer-cycle attaches to your bicycle's seat post. At costs from $100 to $400, trailer-cycles have working pedals, and some are equipped with gears so youngsters can practice starting, stopping, and balancing while observing your safety habits and rules of the road. But be cautious - if your child turns or pedals erratically, you'll have difficulty maneuvering your bicycle.

Your family might enjoy an actual tandem bicycle. At prices from $1,000 to $1,500, a bicycle built for two isn't cheap, but it offers the same benefits of trailer-cycles without the work of attaching and unattaching a separate unit. A tandem designed for a family has wheels that are smaller than those on a typical adult bicycle, and a telescoping rear seat post accommodates a child or adult. However, a tandem designed strictly for grown-ups requires extra adapters for a child to ride behind the pilot's seat.