Back-to-school time is a great time to review bicycle safety.

According to the Minnesota Department of Transportation, bicycle-vehicle crashes are caused by both motorists and bicycles. Crashes are caused by failure to yield, inattention, obscured vision and failure to obey signs and signals. Both motorists and bicyclists can make Austin a safe place to bike by following a few guidelines.

Bicyclists should remember these rules of the road:

•Always wear a helmet

•Obey all traffic signs and signals

•Ride with traffic on the streets, not the sidewalks

•Signal turns and stops

•Pass only on the left

•Be visible one the road: wear bright colors and use lights at night

•Yield to pedestrians

•Pay attention — put away devices and headphones

Youth bicyclists are urged to:

•Be predictable

•Bicycle in a group to be more visible

•Make eye contact with motorists so you know they see you

•Discuss your route with your parents and consider whether riding on the road or sidewalk is safest for you

•Always wear a helmet

Motorist are asked to share the road with bicyclists by following these rules:

•Be patient when passing bicyclists

•Allow three feet clearance around a cyclist

•Check your blind spot for cyclists before merging

•Yield to bicyclists before turning

•Use extra caution around youth bicyclists

•Be respectful and remember that honking may startle a bicyclist

•Look for cyclists before opening your door

•Pay attention — put away devices, food and make-up

The Vision 2020 Bike Walk committee is collaborating with Bike Minnesota and Mower County Ship to bring Walk! Bike! Fun! Curriculum Training to Austin educators. We’d like to see this curriculum offered at all Austin elementary schools to give students the tools to be safe on our streets.

Walk! Bike! Fun! curriculum is written to encourage more children to walk or bike to school and throughout the community by providing schools with tools to teach safe walking and biking. This curriculum is designed for physical education, health teachers and other educators to use to engage students in a thoughtful, fun and interactive program to learn safety tips and skills that will last them a lifetime. To preview the curriculum, visit http://bikemn.org/education/walk-bike-fun/srts-education-curriculum.

Training will be offered from 7:45 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sept. 24 at I.J. Holton Intermediate School.

The training is free with 7 CEUs offered. Teachers may also apply for funds to reimburse a substitute teacher for their classroom. To register, go to https://austinwbf.eventbrite.com

For more information, contact Karissa Studier at Mower County SHIP at 507-437-9740 or karissas@co.mower.mn.us.