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HERALD/REVIEW
SIERRA VISTA — Kids learned safety Saturday at the Sierra Vista Kiwanis Club’s bike safety rodeo, as a policeman quizzed them about rules for the road, and a firefighter/EMT was on hand to make sure the traffic simulation was safe.
Sun ’N’ Spokes Inc. bike shop’s staff members inspected the children’s bikes, the Kiwanis Key Club staffed the traffic simulation and Sierra Vista Kiwanis bought 100 new kids’ helmets to move at the event.
“What we’re trying to do as a club is get kids to wear a helmet,” said program coordinator Fred Close.
 Jonathan Parra, 6, rides through the course as volunteer Henry Bos looks on during Saturday’s Bicycle Safety Rodeo at Veterans’ Memorial Park. The event was sponsored by the Sierra Vista Kiwanis Club, Southwest Gas and Ace Hardware. (Mark Levy-Herald/Review) |
Only 5 percent of kids on bikes wear helmets in addition to a lot of other scary statistics, and helmets can prevent severe or permanent injury, she said.
Close said the club purchased 100 helmets at $7.50 apiece, the price at which they passed hands again to parents at the Veterans’ Memorial Park event Saturday. If parents could not afford the $7.50, the helmets were available to them for free.
Close said it’s a good reminder for parents to enforce the helmet rule if they shelled out money for them.
From the back of Sun ’N’ Spokes truck, kids’ bikes got free inspections before they took on the traffic simulation in a nearby paved area.
The event carried on from 8 a.m. to noon, and by about 11 a.m. at least 40 youngsters had gone through the program and safety rodeo.
“The biggest problem is all these bikes are from department stores and they’re never assembled right to begin with, and that’s just not good for the kids,” said Aaron Abrams of Sun ’N’ Spokes, 156 E. Fry Blvd. “The wheels not bolted on correctly, the handlebars not being tight enough — pretty much everything.”
Municipal code requires minors to wear a helmet when riding, said Sierra Vista police Officer Allan Foote, who had a captive audience of little kids listening to him talk about bike rules.
By state law, a bicycle must have a front light visible for at least 500 feet and a red rear reflector when used at night.
“Most of them don’t even realize it’s a law to wear a helmet,” the policeman said. “But they’re all really eager to know. They’re pretty inquisitive.”
He asked a brother and sister to tell him a bicycle law after their bikes inspected.
“To always look both ways before crossing the street,” said Brian Valenzuela, 7.
His little sister Brianna, 5, echoed the same good rule.
Firefighter Sam Loucks supervised the nearby traffic simulation, with big kids from the Kiwanis Key Club carrying car-shaped cardboard outs to serve as simulated cross traffic.
“I think that’s the most important thing, is the kids have fun while they learn,” Loucks said.
Don Townsend of the Sierra Vista Kiwanis showed the young riders the map of the simulated traffic before they set out.
“They love coming out here — anytime they have an opportunity to ride their bikes,” said Brian and Brianna’s father, Raul.
Valenzuela said his son had been looking forward to the rodeo for weeks.
REPORTER Gentry Braswell can be reached at 515-4680.
Tony P wrote on Nov 25, 2008 12:24 AM: