John F. Kennedy once said, “Nothing compares to the simple pleasure of a bike ride.”

From that first moment dad lets go of the seat and you’re rolling down the driveway on your own two wheels, a certain sense of freedom takes over. I think it’s the human equivalent of spreading our wings to fly.

For many, that feeling of freedom is soon replaced and amplified by the roar of an engine – motorcycles, cars, later for some, boats and even airplanes and beyond.

It’s in our American DNA to want to go farther faster. But for some, myself included, that sense of freedom under my own power still holds a certain enchantment. It’s been written that those who wish to control their own lives and move beyond existence as mere clients and consumers – those people ride a bike.

Those of us who enjoy this simple pleasure of riding a bike “often” are keenly aware that it comes with a certain amount of risk.

I’ve logged nearly 10,000 miles on my bike over the past several years. And in those miles I’ve come to understand and respect this pleasurable pastime for its inherent danger.

I’ve had my share of road-rash and cracked a few helmets. I’ve been spared broken bones to this point, but I’ve also witnessed too many devastating and disturbing crashes.

I know that it takes a mere instant, the blink of an eye, to go from upright to sprawled across the pavement. And assault is very unforgiving.

On average, 700 bicycle riders are killed on our roads each year. The vast majority, 89 percent of those killed, are adults over 16 years of age.

The average age of a bicyclist killed on a US road is 41. And the vast majority of those killed are not wearing a helmet.

A study on baby boomer sports injuries by the consumer products safety commission reported bicycling was the top sport for sending us aging athletes to the emergency room. Basketball was second. Bicycling killed the most athletes in this age group, too, at a rate of nearly two to one over deaths of children on bicycles.

This past week Brookhaven city aldermen took a brief look at a sample ordinance requiring persons under the age of 16 to wear a helmet when riding a bicycle, scooter, skateboard or roller skates.

I applaud the intent, but as Mayor Les Bumgarner says, “I’m not crazy about putting more restrictions on citizens.” Should our kids wear a protective gear, including a helmet when propelling themselves down our city streets? Absolutely.

Should our local law enforcement and judicial system be required to police this for the parents who fail to educate their children of the inherent danger? I think not. A city ordinance is no replacement for responsible parenting.

In too many instances we go too far in relying on our government to step into a situation when the potential for difficulty exists.

I guess it would be easier for a parent to tell their child, “It’s the law,” when it comes to requiring them to don a helmet before getting on their bike. But nobody ever said being a parent would or should be easy.

And, according to the statistics noted previously, if you ride a bike with your child you’re twice as likely to crash and die than they are.

So, better than writing new laws, let’s set a better example. If you ride a bike, wear a helmet and encourage your child too, also. As we learn from Proverbs 22:6, Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old, he will not depart from it.

I’m no theologian but I think Solomon was inspired to write this to parents, not necessarily city aldermen.

Education and common sense about bicycling safety are the key to keeping children and those of us who are still kids at heart when on a bicycle, safe.

With freedom comes responsibility. Learning and observing the rules of the road are the first steps toward safe cycling.

Understanding that a cyclist is virtually invisible to motorists is another key element. It’s not enough to see, a cyclist needs to be seen. Being keen to your surroundings is also vital to safety. That includes both sight and sound – no ear buds, please.

Learning to communicate through simple signs and signals when riding in a group is also important to safety. And finally, taking the right safety precautions, including wearing the right safety equipment the right way, is key to keeping a bike ride pleasurable.

If you are going to ride a bike for any distance, wear a helmet, because sooner or later you will fall off. As Lance Armstrong once said, “If you worried about falling off the bike, you’d never get on.”

But more importantly, do get on a bike and rediscover that pleasure and sense of freedom because, as Mark Twain once said, “Learn to ride a bicycle. You will not regret it if you live.”

Rick Reynolds is president/publisher of The Daily Leader. Contact him at rreynolds@dailyleader.com.