Walking down the lively streets of Crown Heights, it’s impossible to miss the fleets of children zipping by on bicycles and motorized scooters. While it is wonderful to see the neighborhood’s youth active and enjoying the outdoors, local safety experts are issuing a strong warning to parents about the very real dangers these vehicles present on busy city streets.
“Parents need to be super careful before handing over a fast-moving scooter to a child,” warns Yanky Prager, founder of Crown Heights Chaverim. “We see kids zipping in and out of traffic constantly. It is incredibly dangerous because drivers simply cannot see them in their blind spots, and the children often don’t see the cars until it’s too late.”
Before a child takes a scooter or bike out onto the street, parents must ensure they are properly equipped and educated. “A helmet isn’t a suggestion; it’s an absolute necessity, along with knee pads, bright lights, and reflectors so they are highly visible to everyone on the road,” says Yaakov Prager. He emphasizes that owning a bike or scooter comes with the responsibility of learning the rules of the road. “We have to teach them the proper way to ride. They need to understand not to weave through pedestrians on crowded sidewalks and to always, always look both ways before crossing the street.”
While community members watch out for one another, parents must lay down these strict ground rules. As Prager often notes, outfitting our children with helmets and teaching them traffic safety is our necessary physical effort, trusting that Hashem watches over them as they travel.
