Primary school

On our island there are quite a few bicycles. Some children are allowed to take their bicycle onto the public road. As soon as you are on the public road with your bicycle, you belong to traffic and you must apply the traffic rules for cyclists. Here on our island there are almost no bicycle lanes and so the cyclist must use the roads that are intended for other traffic. This makes the risk of an accident for cyclists very high.

What requirements must a bicycle meet in traffic?

1. A bicycle must have properly working handlebars.
2. A bicycle must have a properly working bell.
3. A bicycle must have at least one properly working brake.
4. In the evening a bicycle must have a lit front light, white or yellow in color, a lit red rear light and a reflector. (Some bicycles already come with their reflector.)

For safety it is also wise if your bicycle has the following:

5. The bell must be audible up to 25 meters away from the bicycle.
6. Your bicycle must have a rear fender, of which a section of 30 cm must be white in color.

Your bicycle must therefore meet the first 4 points. But for a safe bicycle, your bicycle must meet all 6 points.

What are you not allowed to do as a cyclist?

• You may not let yourself be towed by another vehicle.
• You may not ride without hands.
• Your feet must be on the pedals.

What must a cyclist know well before going onto the public road?

• A cyclist must always have at least one hand on the handlebars. A cyclist must have both feet on the pedals.
• Cyclists ride a maximum of two side by side.
• The front light of the bicycle must shine diagonally downward and must not blind other road users.
• A cyclist must ride on the right side of the road and overtake on the left.
• A cyclist must make a left turn as wide as possible and a right turn as tight as possible.
• A cyclist must always clearly indicate what they are planning to do. This is in the interest of their own safety and that of others. So:
• If a cyclist wants to turn left, they must first look back to check whether other traffic is coming. They must clearly indicate that they want to turn left by sticking out their left hand. A cyclist who wants to stop must also indicate this very clearly by moving their left hand up and down.
• A cyclist may only carry one passenger and only if the bicycle is equipped for this. So with a seat (for example a rear rack) and footrests.
• A cyclist may not carry anything on the bicycle that is wider than 75 cm.
• A cyclist may never let themselves be towed by another cyclist or another vehicle.
• A cyclist may not carry dangerous objects on their bicycle.