Child Bike Trailer Safety Features345069

If you are searching for a child bike trailer, safety is often the first thing you will look for. There are many safety features that you should look for, and it can often be overwhelming to keep track of everything. In this article, I will discuss a few of the main safety features that you will want to look for in a bike trailer.

Ball and Socket Joint / Rollover Hitch

If you are riding along and something causes your bike to fall over, this feature will ensure that the trailer stays upright. This is one of the most important safety features that you should look for in a bike trailer because it could really keep your child from getting injured in an accident.

Even if you think you are an experienced rider, the rollover hitch is still important even when you are not riding the bike. It will be handy for any time that your bike could topple over, which includes before you have even gotten on the bike. It may surprise you to learn that bikes fall over a lot more than you might think even before the rider has gotten on. If the kickstand is not propped up all the way, it does not take much to knock a bike over.

5-Point Harness

A 5-point harness is the safety harness that straps your child into the trailer. If you plan to fit two children into your bike trailer, make sure it comes with two harnesses. Many trailers are big enough to fit more than one child, but if it only has one harness, only one child can safely ride inside.

Roll Bar

In the case of an accident where the bike trailer does roll over, a roll bar protects the sides of the trailer from collapsing inwards. This gives structure and durability to the bike trailer to make it more safe for your child inside.

Wide Wheel Base

Bicycle trailers that have wide wheel bases are better equipped to prevent rollover accidents from ever happening. Of course, the wider the wheel base is, the wider the trailer is going to be, and that can affect where you will be able to fit your bike when you have the trailer attached.

Reflective Material

Bike trailers that are constructed of reflective materials will help motorists on the road have better visibility. Since trailers ride low to the ground, it is important to do whatever you can to bring them to the attention of the drivers, especially those that are in high SUVs or trucks. This is also essential if you plan to ride in dim lighting.

Brightly Colored Flag

If your bike trailer does not come equipped with a flag, you should get one separately. Because trailers are lower to the ground than your bicycle, you will likely need the flag to alert motorists to the fact that there is a trailer riding behind you. Again, this is necessary for drivers that are in SUVs and trucks because those cars are higher up than other cars on the road. bike trailer