Video: Bicycle Safety Check

Video Transcript

Hi, I'm Lisa Scott and I'm Halton Council's Road Safety Officer, and I'm here today with Safe Kids.co.uk to do a simple bike check.There are four main points when doing a bike check to make sure that it's legal.

First of all a bike must have two working brakes, one for the front and one for the back, obviously. The front brake, you've got to ensure that the brake cable actually follows down to the brake blocks and that they are both on the rim rather than on the tyre. This brake could actually do with some adjustments, because you have to pull it quite a way before the brake works.

The next thing are the tyres. The tyres must have some visible tread and then should be pumped up and checked just so.

The next thing are the reflectors. It is a legal requirement to have a red rear reflector and now it is a legal requirement to have wheel reflectors and pedal reflectors.

The final thing is if a bike has lights, then it must have two lights - one at the front, a white one, and a red one at the back. It is important that both of them must work.

Another thing to consider is a bell. New bikes now that are sold have to be supplied with a bell, and if you haven't got one, it is a good idea to go out and buy one to warn other road users when you are approaching.

Finally, the last thing to check is to make sure that the bike is the right size for you or the person that is going to be riding it.