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Bicycle Safety Message: All bicycle public, especially parents and purchasers of bicycles, should know that deficient braking is the most important safety issue for these footcraft.

Front brakes omitted is an extremely common practice that renders the average bicycle two thirds inept at stopping and only when the rear brake performs perfectly.

Coaster brakes are a subject in themselves. The pedals are usually in the wrong position when stopping is neccessary and forward pedalling is neccessary to bring the pedals to the fore-aft position to be effective.

A derailled chain means no brake.

The same industry sources, nationalities, and regions that produce dangerous bicycles also produce excellent braking systems. A China built front caliper, cable and brake handle costs 70 cents at site or 125 cents to a large retailer (Walmart Kmart etc) or less than 2 dollars to the consumer regular price. Taiwan industry source. More than three quarters of the child bicycles sold without front brakes have the mounting hole drilled for a front brake caliper.

Courses of action: 1 Purchasers of bicycles should refuse purchase of deficiently braked bicycles, tricycles scooters and similar contraptions.

2.Bicycle distributors and retailers should round up and improve bicycles that lack front and back brakes. Unmodifiable bikes such as nostalgia coaster models should be crushed and disposed of.

3 Bicycle manufacturers and nations should ban the manufacture and distribution of brake lacking bicycles. The industry should realise, as a whole, that brakes are safety and good business.

Other bicycle concerns: Helmets are of no positive value to any cyclist except the fringe racing hobby, who ride with a far foreward topheavy balance. Helmets have been marketed and legislated as a substitute for safety (brakes). Owners should break their helmets apart and dispose of them conspicuously. Reflectors and lights add a considerable margin to twilight riding. L.E.D (diode) lights have immensely improved the visibility and lightness to bike lighting. Bicycles should be built and chosen with a utility comfort stance rather than a faux racing stance.