We partnered with the Northlake Police Department to host a Bike Rodeo for the Harvest kids. Northlake Police do an excellent job at making Harvest a safe and enjoyable community. Summer is a wonderful time—especially at Harvest. Kids are out riding their bikes, swimming, and playing sports. As there are a lot of vehicles on the road, we wanted to make sure our kids were safe. Northlake Police Department spent an afternoon at Harvest teaching kids how to be safe when riding their bikes. Let’s look at the facts….
Did you know that more children ages 5 to 14 are seen in emergency rooms for injuries related to biking than any other sport?
Helmets can reduce the risk of severe brain injuries by 88%--yet only 45% of children 14 and under usually wear a bike helmet.
Here are some top tips that Police Officer Doug Williams taught our kids:
Use Your Head, Wear a Helmet. Officer Williams encouraged everyone to wear a helmet while biking as it is the single most effective safety device available to reduce head injury and death from bicycle crashes.
Ride Right. Tell kids to ride on the right side of the road (with traffic, not against it) and stay as far to the right as possible.
Use Hand Signals. Police Chief Robert Crawford and Officer Williams did a great job at teaching the Harvest kids all of the proper hand signals. Practice them with your kids so they stay fresh to mind.
Use Eye Contact. Teach your kids to make eye contact with drivers. Bikers should make sure drivers are paying attention and are going to stop before they cross the street.
At Night, Use Light. When your kids are riding at dusk, dawn or in the evening, wear bright colors and use lights…bike reflectors are handy! This helps your child be more visible to motorists.
Supervision. Actively watch your kids until you are comfortable that they are responsible to ride on their own.
Officer Doug Williams
Let’s keep our kids riding safe!