Age for road riding/training

[keepontriking]

Some local authorities claim that no one under 10 should ride on a road, claiming that under 10s cannot judge speed/distance relationships.
Others seem to claim that the earlier a child is exposed to these experiences the earlier they learn them.
Does anyone have any links to any research for either points of view?

[[XAP]Bob]

No research, but as a parent I think I'll want to be accompanying and training my kid until *I* judge that she is competent.

That may well be at a young age if she gets used to cycling early, or it might be quite alot older if it's an infrequent diversion...
I don't think there is any physiological reason why a 10 year old can't judge speed, just experiential reasons.

[adinigel]

It has been bandied about for years about children only really being able to judge speeds of oncoming vehicles once they reach the age of 9 or 10. The trouble is, there is also evidence that their attitude to road safety has been set by the age of 11. This doesn't leave much of a window for us to get in and have some effect on that attitude.

I think the reading of traffic speeds comes down a lot to simply experience. If someone is exposed to crossing roads at an earlier age and frequently will they learn to judge speed earlier than someone who isn't exposed to crossing roads so much?

What about someone who only uses traffic light controlled crossings? Will they develop their ability to read traffic speeds much?

Nigel

[rexmedorum]

In Holland primary schools do a class test when kids and some schools do practical ones as well. It's usually in the last (12 yr) or penultimate grade of primary school. The rationale being that while most live walking distance to their primary almost everyone will cycle in to their new school.