Safety awareness

Andrea Roberts
Times Intern

 

Riding bikes can be a fun way to get active and enjoy the warm weather but cyclists of all ages need to be aware of the dangers that come with this activity.
There are a number of bylaws surrounding bike safety and responsibility, although they all differ between provinces and places. “Every person riding a bicycle or skateboard must obey the rules of the road,” said Community Peace Officer Kevin Taylor.
“So be it stop signs, yields stuff like that, the guidelines are the same as a vehicle.”
This means when you are riding on the road you are seen as a vehicle and must adhere to the rules; for example fully stopping at a four way stop and ensuring it is your turn to go.
Taylor explained that he was pleased to see more people complying with the law and cycling safely in recent weeks. He has not handed out any violations lately although he had one or two conversations with people reminding them to walk their bicycles across the road.
There are a number of rules that cyclists must remember when they are on their bikes both ensuring their safety and those around them.
In Strathmore cyclists are allowed to ride on he sidewalk as long as they are aware of pedestrians and must remember to give them some kind of audible signal like a bell or shout when passing them.
Taylor pointed out two important rules that cyclist need to remember and they are often the ones he has to talk to people about.
The first is to dismount the bicycle when approaching an intersection and walk it across as a pedestrian, as this is where most accidents happen. According to the Canadian Automobile Association about 7500 cyclists are severely injured every year in Canada, with 18 percent of those killed in traffic accidents under the age of 16.
The second is also a major bylaw in Alberta. Anyone under the age of 18 is required to wear a helmet, which decreases the risk of brain injury in the case of an accident. This helmet cannot be damaged and must be securely in place with the strap fastened. Taylor explained that there is a $93 ticket for not complying with this law, and parents who knowingly allow their children to ride without a helmet can get fined too.
However, it seems that most of Strathmore’s youth are wearing their helmets and this is what Taylor and the other municipal officers want.
For them the most important thing is to have a conversation with the children about bike safety and ensure that there is compliance with the law. He further explained that many of the children who he had spoken with in the past now make sure they wear their helmets.
“Wear it right: Low, level, and snug,” said Bill Thompson, the OHS officer for Golden Hills School district in an email.
“Your helmet should sit level on your head, and the front of the helmet should cover most of your forehead.”
Thompson also said that helmets should be properly certified, and the best way to check is to look for a certification sticker from the CSA, EN, ASTM, CPSC or Snell B90/B95.
While the Peace Officers are mostly seeing compliance right now, Taylor explained that summer is usually the time when they see more infractions with people and will probably have more conversations with the young cyclists and their parents. He hopes, that if more children are starting now to wear their helmets it will become habit by the summer.