<p>So, I bought a toddler trailer recently to pull my kiddo along. However, my job as a parent is to be as safe as I possibly can, in particular with respect to other vehicles on the road.</p>
<p>Has anyone used one of these, and how to you operate your bike in a manner that protects your little one?</p>
<p>I’d like to be polite as well, so I think that rules out riding in the middle of the road as some cyclists do.</p>
<p>Funny you should bring this up. Just last Friday I was waiting for my express bus when someone came riding around the corner with a toddler trailer and wiped out. He was moving quickly but not recklessly so, but something about the angle of the turn made the wheels on that particular toddler trainer stop rolling straight and it knocked the bike rider off balance. They were both fine.</p>
<p>I’ve seen too many close calls with street riding with kiddo in tow-even in bike lanes.
I’d only ride it on designated wide trails and away from traffic.
People drive like jerks and are inattentive.
Not worth the risk, IMHO.</p>
<p>I don’t have any experience riding with a trailer but in my town there are many bike commuters who take their kids to campus daycare in trailers. I see them almost every day and have never witnessed an accident. The one thing that drives me crazy is seeing kids in trailers without helmets. Just because they aren’t on the bike doesn’t mean they don’t need a helmet. (Of course, these parents rarely wear helmets themselves.)</p>
<p>There are times when the safest way to ride is to “claim the lane” (i.e., ride up the middle). It prevents drivers from trying to squeeze by you and forces them to wait until there is an opening in the other lane to pass you.</p>
<p>Why not check out some cycling forums? Most of us here used toddler type equipment many, many years ago, and a lot may have changed since then. </p>
<p>If you see any cyclists over there who are interested in looking for advice on college admissions, send 'em on over here.</p>
<p>We had a double Burly (spelling?) -like toddler/preschooler trailer which we used for many years, sometimes with one child, and for a couple of years with two children in tow. We lived in small towns blessed with many bike trails during those years. We never used it on major roads, ever. We never tipped it, but we also never went very fast, either. I hauled a lot of “stuff” in addition to children over the years. Lots of fond memories of that kid carrier!</p>
<p>I about decided that helmets are against the law on our local bike/run trail! I am horrified by the number of casual riders (families with kids etc) who do not wear helmets. It’s just so stupid. They have no idea how easy it is to fall. One of my triathlete friends hit a garden hose with her front tire and it sent the wheel/bike out from under her. She cracked her helmet.</p>
<p>^^But thankfully not her head.</p>
<p>I always wanted to get one of these when my kids were little, but H who is a park ranger was against it because he had seen too many accidents, even in the park. Now, I think there are certainly ways to MAKE things safer (helmets, going a moderate speed, etc) but just like driving a car, it’s often not yourself you have to worry about, it’s the other drivers. Lately, the driving around here is PATHETIC. </p>
<p>I think if you use it in a more controlled setting (on a wide bike path NOT on the street), in a park, your quiet neighborhood, etc. - it looks like fun! :)</p>
<p>I am not above calling out, “Did you forget your helmet, Dad?” when I see parents riding without. Obnoxious, I know, but they are setting a terrible example.</p>
<p>Once upon a time, my daughter took a header off the front of her bike. Although she was wearing a helmet at the time, she used her 8 permanent teeth to block her fall. Several long years consisting of: many stitches on the inside and ouside of her upper lip where her teeth cut her lip, an oral surgeon shifting every permanent tooth back in place, reimplanting the one that was knocked out, three root canals, braces, and repairing four chipped teeth, the bike helmet remained perfect and not even scratched. </p>
<p>The oral surgeon suggested that, if ever faced with a similar impending accident in the future, she should try to block her fall with a hand instead of her face, since broken wrists are generally easier to repair than a mouth full of teeth.</p>
<p>:)</p>
<p>are they even legal in Wa state? I dunno but read this…</p>
<p>RCW 46.61.760
Riding on bicycles.
(1) A person propelling a bicycle shall not ride other than upon or astride a permanent and regular seat attached thereto.
(2) No bicycle shall be used to carry more persons at one time than the number for which it is designed and equipped.</p>
<p>RCW 46.61.765
Clinging to vehicles.
No person riding upon any bicycle, coaster, roller skates, sled or toy vehicle shall attach the same or himself to any vehicle upon a roadway.</p>
<p>We had a Burley (double) when our kids were little. We got a lot of use out of that. We had them wear their helmets and made sure we had the flag on the Burley. Also, one of us road behind whom ever was pulling the Burley so cars would see both of us because they could not see the trailer. That way, if we were at an intersection or whatever, a car wouldn’t pull out too early and hit the trailer.</p>
<p>I don’t think that would apply emerald, as the trailer is designed and equipped to be attached to the bike, and the clinging to vehicles refers to the dangerous practice of dragging along behind a car.</p>
<p>D does not ride her bike because she refuses to wear a helmet. S’s helmet didn’t do him much good in his accident, but it was the first thing all the medical personnel asked about “were you wearing a helmet?”</p>
<p>OP, are there bike paths you can go on for recreation, or is it your intention to commute your kid to day care or some such thing?</p>
<p>The trailer is primarily for recreation. We’re having a problem right now that Mom can’t get dinner made with DD hanging onto her leg, so I think taking her out for a ride while mom makes dinner sounds like a great idea. Plus it gets me away from the computer which I have a bit of a problem with. </p>
<p>I wish we had nice trails that we could ride to and then go for a ways. But sadly, with the particular part of town we live in, there are no great trails within safe riding distance of my house. A few residential and arterial streets around but can’t get very far before having to go on high use corridors that I’m not willing to ride on.</p>
<p>We rent, so perhaps this is a good reason to look at buying a house in a part of town that has a large system of trails and pleasant residental streets.</p>
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</p>
<p>I’m not sure why you always grump at me on the threads, but some of your posts have recently become rather snotty. Little comments and jabs like this one above, rather than trying to answer my questions.</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/bike-trailers/buying-guide.htm[/url]”>Best Bike Trailer Buying Guide - Consumer Reports;
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</p>
<p>Op I am sorry if you think I am snotty, but I posted the link because I try to always back up my opinions with facts. My opinion is that in most areas in the Puget Sound, it is not safe enough to carry your toddlers in a trailer behind your bicycle on the road.
[Bike trailers should only be used on trails, never where there is vehicular traffic. Even then, they should have an orange safety flag that’s 3½ feet to 7 feet high.](<a href=“Best Bike Trailer Buying Guide - Consumer Reports”>Best Bike Trailer Buying Guide - Consumer Reports)</p>
<p>I also grump at people who don’t buy their child their own airline ticket and instead expect them to remain safe in their lap in case of turbulence or worse.
;)</p>
<p>Sorry I didn’t mean to double link to the consumer reports article.</p>
<p>OP, giveus a better picture of where you would be able to ride with the trailer - sounds like not parks and not much residential streets. If its streets with any sort of regular traffic I would say no to the idea. That is based on the drivers I see on a daily basis and the desire to just not risk anything that might be unsafe with a child.</p>
<p>You could take her for some great walks or stroller rides though if you have sidewalks!</p>