[BikeLongmont] "Bicycle Safety"

[Richard Masoner]

This press release from the Colorado Department of
Public Health & Environmnt was printed in the
Times-Call this morning, complete with the press
contact phone of Ms. Barbara Bailey.

The advice given is reasonable. The only quibble I
have is the relative importance placed on certain
items. This report says that "80% of bicycle related
fatalities are associated with the child's behavior,"
but the first advice given is not "change the behavior
through effective instruction and training" but rather
"wear a helmet."

RFM
--
Teaching Children Safe Bicycling Behaviors Prevents
Injuries, Saves Lives

DENVER-Bicycles may be a classic symbol of childhood
recreation, transportation and health but parents
should be aware that bicycles also are associated with
more childhood injuries than any other consumer
product, except the automobile, state health officials
warned Friday. 

Each year in Colorado, an average of nine bicyclists
are killed and 517 are hospitalized for injuries
sustained in a bicycle crash. Between 1994 and 2000,
325 children, ages 5 to 12, were hospitalized or died
due to bicycle-related head injuries in Colorado.

"It is estimated that more than 70 percent of
children, or about 27.7 million, ages 5 to 14, ride
bicycles in the United States. This age group also
rides about 50 percent more than the average
bicyclist. This is why children have the highest rates
of bicycle-related hospitalization and death," said
Barbara Bailey, an injury prevention specialist for
the Colorado SAFE KIDS Coalition at the Colorado
Department of Public Health and Environment.

Bailey said more than 80 percent of bicycle-related
fatalities are associated with the child's behavior.
Such behavior includes riding into a street without
stopping; turning left or swerving into traffic that
is coming from behind; or riding against the flow of
traffic. 

Bailey said, "You can greatly reduce your children's
risk of injury and death simply by taking some safety
precautions and setting rules." 

The following are some important tips to follow and
teach children about safe bicycle riding:

Always wear a bicycle helmet and wear it correctly. A
bicycle helmet should fit comfortably and snugly, but
not too tightly. It should sit on top of the head in a
level position. It should not tip forward or backward
or from side to side, and the helmet strap should
always be buckled. Wearing a helmet reduces the risk
of head injury by as much as 85 percent. 

Restrict cycling to sidewalks and paths until a child
is age 10 and/or is able to show how well he or she
rides and observes the rules of the road.  

Avoid riding in the evening or when it's getting dark.
However, if riding in the evening make certain the
bicycle has a white headlight; a red light on the
rear; reflectors; and wear light-colored clothing. 

Learn the rules of the road. Always ride on the
right-hand side of the street, in the same direction
of traffic. Use bicycle lanes and designated bicycle
routes wherever possible. When bicycling with a group,
always ride single file on the street. When passing
other bicyclists always pass to their left side, and
call out, "On your left!" so they know you are coming.


Obey all traffic laws. Stop at all stop signs and
stoplights just like cars. Walk the bicycle across
busy intersections, and always stop and check for
traffic in both directions when leaving the driveway,
an alley or a curb. Keep an eye on traffic and never
change directions or lanes without first looking back.


Finally, know the proper hand signals: 

To make a left turn, check for other traffic, then
hold the left arm straight out. 

To make a right turn, check for other traffic, then
bend the left elbow, and hold the arm up in an "L"
shape. 

To make a stop, check for other traffic, then bend the
elbow, pointing the arm downward in an upside down "L"
shape and come to a stop. 

For more information, contact Barbara Bailey at (303)
692-2589.


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