Fire department urges bike safety

School's out; the sun is shining - it's time to get the bikes out.

Sisters is a great place to ride, but it can be dangerous. Sisters-Camp Sherman Rural Fire Protection District Fire Marshal Dave Wheeler is urging all riders to wear bicycle helmets and to observe traffic laws and safety rules while two-wheeling in the Sisters area.

Children are of particular concern. More children ages five to 14 go to the hospital for injuries associated with riding bicycles than from any other sporting activity, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Many of those injuries are head injuries.

NHTSA reports that a certified, properly-fitted bike helmet can reduce head injuries from a crash up to 85 percent and brain injuries up to 88 percent.

Sisters Fire Hall provides a flyer detailing proper helmet fit. When available, the Sisters-Camp Sherman RFPD also offers free helmets. According to Wheeler, the department is out of helmets right now but he is working on getting more in.

It's against the law to ride a bike without a helmet in Sisters, but many young people don't put one on.

"Some of the kids just don't want to wear their helmets," Wheeler said.

Kids traditionally feel indestructible, but their parents should know better, and a traumatic brain injury can permanently change a young life.

Helmet use is not the only safety concern involving young riders.

Almost every driver in Sisters has cringed to see a young cyclist jet off of a sidewalk into the street or crosswalk. Young riders should be taught to stop at intersections just like a car and follow the rules of the road. Drivers often can't see a kid on a bicycle until it's too late.

"Last year, we had three kids hit on bicycles in Sisters," Wheeler said.

Fortunately, the drivers were able to stop just in time to avoid really smashing into the riders.

"So far we haven't had anybody completely run over," Wheeler said. "We'd like to keep it that way."

For more bicycle safety information contact Wheeler at 549-0771.

Author Bio

Jim Cornelius, Editor in Chief

Jim Cornelius is editor in chief of The Nugget and author of “Warriors of the Wildlands: True Tales of the Frontier Partisans.” A history buff, he explores frontier history across three centuries and several continents on his podcast, The Frontier Partisans. For more information visit www.frontierpartisans.com.

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