Introduction:
Changing the perspective from "regulation-centric" to "product-centric" can be like taking a leap of faith. Using the example of children's bicycles, this presentation shows how different levels of regulations interact to build a safe product - and limitations which can be encountered. Once you become aware that the development of a new component can take years and you have to order components years in advance, things definitely become more interesting. During this time regulations as well as standards might change. Furthermore, small design changes might place your product under a different standard or even regulation. And when you thought, you have everything covered for the EU in general, you figure out, that in some cases also national regulations require your attention. Children's products, especially if they are used in a high-risk environment, pose a special challenge. My example: children's bikes... ...shall be safe to use, ...shall be usable by children, ...shall be attractive to children, ...will be used on streets and also... ...need to be attractive for adults to go for them. For example, bikes for children cannot just be downsized from adult's versions to accomplish all of the topics mentioned above. Furthermore children might use their bikes differently and cannot responsible for the maintenance. Raising awareness among the caregivers is therefore also of major importance.

Keywords: product safety, children, bicycle, awareness, sport, leisure, traffic, vulnerable road user