This is turning out to be an interesting discussion. Since I also do quite a bit of pedestrian training for children I decided to look up a report on the Cognitive and Metacognitive Processes Underlying The Development of Children's Pedestrian Skills. You can find it at www.detr.gov.uk/roadsafety/no6. I want to get away from the sidewalk or not the sidewalk as there are considerable differences in so called residential neighbourhoods. What is important here is to understand the cognitive processes as children develop road safety skills whether they are pedestrians or cyclists. I am going to summarize some of the findings and use both pedestrian/ cyclist reference. 1. There was overall development of skill and performance on the pedestrin/cyclist task as the children grew older. There was also considerable overlap in the three age groups 4/5, 7/8, 10/11. There was considerable individual differences within an age group. 2. Strategies Used a. The frequency and pattern of looking in the relevant different directions b. The presence and sophistication of a last-minute checking procedure just before making a decision c. The speed of making a decision ( younger children tend to have a moment by moment way of sampling and as they got older they were making predictions about a moment in the future when they could make a safe movement). For some children this was starting to develop at around age 7/8. Adults showed the greatest level of sophistication that even the best 10/11 year olds had not obtained. Exposure and Cognitive Ability 1. Some mimimun level of exposure was necessary but alone not sufficient. With the youngest children relatively unsupervised road exposure was detrimental. 2. There is a time lag between exposure to road traffic and any development of strategies and skills. 3. No significant correlation was found on any sort of academic attainment (book smarts doesn't necessarily relate to road smarts) 4. Becoming aware of and in control of their own problem solving strategies was very significant and effective with all age ranges 5. Visual search skills make significant contributions. Beginning to adopt exhaustive visual scanning was begining to occur at the ages of 7/8. Overall visual search skills which involved both exhausitiveness and speed was becoming important at the ages of 10/11 6. Children with an impulsive cognitive style were delayed in their development of more powerful strategies and carrying them out paticularily between ages 4-8. Boys vs. Girls 1. Significant differences were found between problem solving strategies, impusivity and judgement time between boys and girs with girls performing better. 2. While boys seem to have a more risk taking style, boys were often allowed more unsupervised freedom. (Perhaps unintentional encouragement of risk taking behaviour) ----- In addition to this study, when I train children, I find the develpment of listening skills extremely important. I find older children are better at identifying and localising sound sources than younger children. I find this extremely useful where there may be limited sight lines. Recognising areas of limited visibility is really important. Ultimately it is important for parents to be positive role models. It is important to talk and discuss what you are doing with your child. Children cannot use a strategy until their understanding and ability have reached that level. In the case of cycling, the children also have to master the bike handling skills in addition to the road safety training. Depending on where people live and knowing there own child may have bearing on riding on the sidewalk. Even as I walk with my children or the children I train, we are constantly scanning for movement or noise from a driveway. The biggest area for non roadway accidents with child pedestrians is at driveway locations. Sorry for this being so long. I hope others find it useful. Mom on a Bike Perry McKenna wrote: > I thought my two boys at the age of 6 and 7 to ride on the streets on not on > the sidewalks and to assume the correct position when making turns. Now two > years later we still have not ventured out of Stittsville, but have cycled > down the busy Main Street. All of this under supervision. > > They are already comfortable having cars beside them and feel safer on the > roads than on the sidewalks. As for large vehicles, or for that matter any > vehicle moving at 40 to 60 k/h, I let them make the decision if they should > proceed, by asking them to "let me know if you can merge, turn or proceed" > If I am not comfortable with their decision, I tell them not to proceed and > why. > > I think the key is to start riding in traffic in your residential area, and > to progressively moved up to busier streets. Our next challenge will be > riding to Kanata. > > Perry McKenna > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Peter McNichol" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Cc: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Sent: Saturday, September 08, 2001 5:55 AM > Subject: Re: [obc] Sidewalk Cycling > > > > > Well Avery: > > > > CAN-BIKE teaches those exact same principles. > > > > However I find from teaching Kids CAN-BIKE that the eight year olds > > have a little trouble with the concepts. At eight years old your > > perception is just starting to develop. They cannot judge distance > > between moving objects, let alone the experience required to judge > > when to move left (unless there are no cars around). > > > > Therefore two questions: > > > > 1. Do you expect an eight year old to judge distance of a two ton > > object travelling at 40 km/hr? > > 2. How do you cycle with a child under eight? > > > > Peter McNichol > > > > > > Avery Burdett wrote: > > > > > > John Forester (Effective Cycling) believes virtually any grade 3 child > > > can be taught, absorb and perform the following three fundamental > > > concepts: > > > > > > 1. Ride on the right-hand side of the roadway, not on the left and > > > not on the sidewalk. > > > 2. How to yield to crossing traffic when reaching a superior roadway. > > > 3. How to yield to overtaking traffic when moving laterally. > > > > > > Each child has his or her own individual cognitive and physical > > > abilities, so knowledgeable cycling parents could start vehicular > > > cycling instruction to their kids as early as five years of age on quiet > > > residential streets. I did with my two sons - soon after they could > > > balance on a two wheeler. It is not unreasonable for kids to be riding > > > alone on residential streets near home with about a year's worth of > > > supervised practice. Contemporaneously, they should be introduced to > > > Forester's next two concepts: > > > > > > 4. Destination positioning at intersections. > > > (i.e. getting to the proper place in preparation for a turn) > > > 5. Speed positioning between intersections > > > (e.g. passing a slower cyclist) > > > > > > Within a year or so they can be introduced (under supervision) to four > > > lane roads, higher traffic densities and more complex traffic patterns. > > > > > > Forester source: http://www.johnforester.com > > > > > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > > > > Avery, > > > > > > > > I couldn't agree more that young children need to be supervised. For > us > > > > parents, I > > > > was wondering at what developmental stages would you introduce the > > > > various aspects of > > > > vehicular cycling? As you say, vehicular road cycling starts the day > > > > they start to > > > > ride. > > > > > > > > Mom on a Bike > > > > > > > > Avery Burdett wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > The children I refer to are > > > > > ones that need adult supervision no matter where they ride. Children > > > > > (under > > > > > supervision of course) should be introduced to vehicular road > cycling > > > > > from the > > > > > day they start to ride. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >> -----Original Message----- > > > > > >> From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [SMTP:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] > > > > > >> Sent: Wednesday, September 05, 2001 9:19 PM > > > > > >> To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > > >> Cc: [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > > >> Subject: Re: [obc] Lowell Green on CFRA > > > > > >> > > > > > >> There are many competent cyclist out there who may or may not > belong to > > > > > >> the many > > > > > >> great cycling clubs and organizations this whole region has to > offer. > > > > > >> > > > > > >> In saying that I noticed out of between 15 to 20 child cylist I > saw > > > > > >> riding > > > > > >> home on > > > > > >> their bikes, only one rode appropriately. The others rode on the > > > > > >> sidewalk, > > > > > >> did not > > > > > >> look, turned left from the right side of the road, rode up the > wrong > > > > > >> side > > > > > >> of the > > > > > >> street. There are apporximately 100,000 school age child cyclist > in this > > > > > >> city. That > > > > > >> would mean they outnumber OBC riders 100:1. > > > > > >> > > > > > >> Mom on a Bike > > > > > >> > > > > > >> Paul Lindsay wrote: > > > > > >> > > > > > >> > >Re: [obc] Lowell Green on CFRAThing is, a lot of cyclists > >are< jerks. > > > > > >> How > > > > > >> > >many cyclists out there are actually > > > > > >> > >following the rules of the road and behaving decently? Not > many. > > > > > >> We're used > > > > > >> > >to riding with our OBC friends and on club rides and loops in > the Gats > > > > > >> > >when for > > > > > >> > >the most part most cyclists are either incompetant commuters > or bike > > > > > >> path and > > > > > >> > >sidewalk noodlers that are two eggs short of a dozen. > > > > > >> > Just a day or two ago I wrote an e-mail to one of the editors > of the > > > > > >> > car > > > > > >> > magazine "Wheels" for tarring all cyclists with scorn and > innuendo > > > > > >> > similar to > > > > > >> > the reported Lowell Green incident. This guy referred to all > riders as > > > > > >> > "suicyclists" and was angry that we all "bitch and complain > about car > > > > > >> > drivers" > > > > > >> > but don't follow the rules of the road ourselves. Such media > people are > > > > > >> > dangerous. > > > > > >> > On the other hand, I think Michael's comments sound a bit > 'elitist'. > > > > > >> I > > > > > >> > think > > > > > >> > there are many commuters, bike path riders, and general tourist > > > > > >> cyclists, > > > > > >> > equally competent and law-abiding as those of the OBC. And > there are > > > > > >> > numerous > > > > > >> > times I have seen club members running lights and stop signs > (somtimes > > > > > >> > wearing > > > > > >> > their OBC jersey). > > > > > >> > .... Paul L. > > > > > >> > > > > > > >> > ------ > > > > > >> > To unsubscribe, send a blank message to > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > > >> > Club Office: [EMAIL PROTECTED], (613) 230-1064 > > > > > >> > Web/mailing list: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > http://www.cyberus.ca/~obcweb > > > > > >> > Newsletter: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > > >> http://www.cyberus.ca/~obcweb/Newsletter > > > > > >> > > > > > > >> > > > > > >> ------ > > > > > >> To unsubscribe, send a blank message to > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > > >> Club Office: [EMAIL PROTECTED], (613) 230-1064 > > > > > >> Web/mailing list: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > http://www.cyberus.ca/~obcweb > > > > > >> Newsletter: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > > >> http://www.cyberus.ca/~obcweb/Newsletter > > > > > >> > > > > > >> > > > > > >> > > > > > > > > > > > > ------ > > > > > > To unsubscribe, send a blank message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > > > Club Office: [EMAIL PROTECTED], (613) 230-1064 > > > > > > Web/mailing list: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > http://www.cyberus.ca/~obcweb > > > > > > Newsletter: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > > > http://www.cyberus.ca/~obcweb/Newsletter > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > -- > > > > > > > > > > Avery Burdett > > > > > Ottawa, Ontario > > > > > > > > > > ------ > > > > > To unsubscribe, send a blank message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > > Club Office: [EMAIL PROTECTED], (613) 230-1064 > > > > > Web/mailing list: [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.cyberus.ca/~obcweb > > > > > Newsletter: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > > http://www.cyberus.ca/~obcweb/Newsletter > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > ------ > > > To unsubscribe, send a blank message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > Club Office: [EMAIL PROTECTED], (613) 230-1064 > > > Web/mailing list: [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.cyberus.ca/~obcweb > > > Newsletter: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > http://www.cyberus.ca/~obcweb/Newsletter > > > > > > > ------ > > To unsubscribe, send a blank message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > Club Office: [EMAIL PROTECTED], (613) 230-1064 > > Web/mailing list: [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.cyberus.ca/~obcweb > > Newsletter: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > http://www.cyberus.ca/~obcweb/Newsletter > > > > > > > > > > > > ------ > To unsubscribe, send a blank message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Club Office: [EMAIL PROTECTED], (613) 230-1064 > Web/mailing list: [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.cyberus.ca/~obcweb > Newsletter: [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.cyberus.ca/~obcweb/Newsletter > ------ To unsubscribe, send a blank message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Club Office: [EMAIL PROTECTED], (613) 230-1064 Web/mailing list: [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.cyberus.ca/~obcweb Newsletter: [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.cyberus.ca/~obcweb/Newsletter ==^================================================================ EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?aVxiDo.a2i8p1 Or send an email To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] This email was sent to: archive@jab.org T O P I C A -- Register now to manage your mail! http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/register ==^================================================================
