When cycling, small children are often unable to do all the things they need to simultaneously: pedal, steer, keep their balance, look around them and react appropriately. That is why children of pre-school age should only cycle in protected areas if at all possible – where there is no chance of coming into contact with road traffic.

When they start elementary school, children are still far from being able to cycle on the roads independently. The legislation in Germany stipulates that children have to cycle on the sidewalk up until their eighth birthday. From their eighth birthday until their tenth birthday, they can continue to use the sidewalk and thus choose between the road and the sidewalk or a cycle path and the sidewalk. If they decide to use the sidewalk, they are required to take pedestrians into consideration. When crossing a road, they must stop at the curb, get off their bicycle and push it across the road.

In addition to being able to ride a bicycle safely, keep their balance and at the same time be aware of the traffic on the road, young cyclists also need to know the rules and have an understanding of the situations that occur on the roads. Road use trainers therefore advise that children should not cycle alone on the roads until they have completed their cycling training in the fourth year of school, at the earliest. Cycle trips together are the best way to learn about the difficult situations that occur on the roads. They offer opportunities to discuss how best to deal with these situations. For example:

• Intersections and, above all, the rule about traffic from the right having priority.
• Junctions and exits where it is difficult to see if anything is coming
• Turning situations
• One-way streets
• Cycle paths that suddenly end