For the Democrat-Herald

With school out and many children hopping on their bikes for fun and to get around during summer vacation, the Oregon Department of Transportation wants to remind everyone that a bicycle is not a toy - it's a vehicle.

Here are some safety tips:

• Wear a helmet. Bicycle helmets are required by law in Oregon for children under 16, not only while bicycling, but also while skateboarding, riding a scooter or in-line skating. Wearing a bicycle helmet can reduce the risk of head injury by 85 percent. The fine for not wearing a helmet is $77.

• Adjust your bicycle to fit you. Stand over your bicycle. There should be 1 to 2 inches between you and the top bar on a road bike and 3 to 4 inches for a mountain bike. The seat should be level front to back, and its height should be adjusted to allow a slight bend at the knee when the leg is fully extended. The handlebar height should be at the same level with the seat.

• Check your equipment. Before riding, inflate tires properly and check that your brakes work.

• Ride on the right with traffic and in a predictable manner. Obey all traffic signs and signals.

• Watch for and avoid road hazards. Be on the lookout for hazards such as potholes, broken glass, gravel, puddles, leaves and dogs. If you are riding with friends and you are in the lead, yell out and point to the hazard to alert the riders behind you.

• Yield to traffic when appropriate. If there is no stop sign or traffic signal and you are coming from a smaller roadway (out of a driveway, from a sidewalk, a bike path, etc.), you must slow down and look to see if the way is clear before proceeding. This also means yielding to pedestrians who have already entered a crosswalk. In any case, be prepared to avoid collisions

• Look before turning. When turning left or right, always look behind you for a break in traffic, then signal, then make the turn. Watch for left- or right-turning traffic.

• Watch out for parked cars. Ride far enough out from the curb to avoid the unexpected from parked cars (like doors opening or cars pulling out).

Although the safest place for bicycle riding in general is on the street, where bicyclists are expected to follow the same rules of the road as motorists, some young children may be better off riding on the sidewalk. If so, parents should review the rules of the road and make sure children understand how to operate bicycles in a safe manner.

Bicyclists on sidewalks:

• Should give right of way and audible warning to pedestrians;

• Should travel no faster than an ordinary walk when approaching a crosswalk, driveway or other intersection; and

• Should not operate bicycles in a careless manner that endangers themselves or others.