5
22 years ago I was hit by a
car while I was riding my bike.
Of course my parents had put
me through the Safety City
offered by the Yankton Police
Department and I was taught
proper safety for riding a bike
but when you’re young, wearing
a helmet is so “lame.” So I
didn’t wear one at the time.
I was living elsewhere at the
time and was racing to bring
my sister her library card. The
sun was setting and neither
the driver nor myself saw the
other. Still to this day I don’t
remember much (this is why
we wear helmets!). I remember
the moment I saw the van and
then it’s nothing. I go from that
moment to waking up on the
opposite curb (I was hit in the
middle of the street), crying.
The police officer was already there and had been attempting
to talk to me. The driver, a teenager, was standing nearby, also
crying. We were both telling each other how sorry we were. I
learned later that it was just the motion of the van stopping that
hit me but it was still forceful enough to make my bike unusable.
I had a mild concussion and still, 22 years later, I have a bump on
my head. So when the opportunity came up to write about Bike
Safety Month I felt there was no one better than someone who
has experienced a bicycle-related accident.
May is Bike Safety Month which was started by the League of
American Bicyclists. It was established in 1956 to showcase the
many benefits of bicycling and to encourage safe riding. Not only
is it Bike Safety Month, but there is a National Bike to Work Week
which takes place this year from May 15 to May 19. And then
there is Bike to Work Day on May 19 this year. It’s the perfect time
as the kids are getting out of school, the weather is getting nicer;
and what is better than a nice bike ride at sunset?
But bike riding can also be dangerous if the proper precautions
aren’t taken. According to a report from the SD Motor Vehicle
Traffic Crash Summary, there were 105 injuries and 1 death
involving bicycles in South Dakota in 2003, alone. In the United
States each year, there are an average of 900 bicycle-related
deaths. Every week 2700 children suffer serious head injuries.
However, research shows that a properly-worn bike helmet can
reduce the risk of serious head injuries by 88 percent. To combat
some of these numbers, groups and businesses around Yankton
are trying to promote more accessible bike safety knowledge to
the youth, but also to adults. There are a few programs in Yankton
that promote Bike Safety. Such as Safety City offered by the
Yankton Police Department and the Bike Helmet program that is
sponsored by Yankton Rotary, Yankton Medical Clinic, and Ace
Bike and Sport.
Safety City used to be Safety Town but the name had to be
changed due to a conflict of copyrights. The Yankton Police
Department offers this program during the summer through the
Yankton Parks & Recreation. It is usually June and July. Safety
City helps teach children life-saving lessons which includes bike
safety. The Yankton Police Department also pair up with the Bike
Helmet program and offer
a certificate for a free ice
cream from McDonald’s if
they see kids wearing their
helmets this summer.
Kerry Hacecky and
Natashia Moser talked to
me about the Bike Helmet
program that is offered
because of a partnership
between Yankton Rotary,
Yankton Medical Clinic, and
Ace Bike and Sport. This
program helps give every
second grader in Yankton a
bike helmet at no charge.
It is a one-hour event at
Yankton High School where
the second graders learn
about safety and helmet
use and then get fitted for a
bike helmet. There is some
watermelon smashing and a
video. Their goal is to have kids leave excited about wearing the
new helmet. The Yankton Rotary has been financially supporting
this program since its inception in 1999. The program started in
1995. At that time, Yankton pediatrician Dr. Rich Kaplan was an
avid cyclist and believed it would be good to encourage cycling
and safety. Rotarian Craig Kennedy and Kaplan often biked with
their children together and the partnership with the Rotary and the
Yankton Medical Clinic was formed. Today, Dr. Withrow represents
YMC and provides a brief and entertaining program to the youth
before the new helmets are distributed. Each helmet is fit to the
child to make sure it’s the proper one for their head.
Spreading more awareness towards bike safety is Matt Dvorak
from Peloton. Matt urges proper bike safety and writes a bike
safety letter before every summer begins. Matt has been a
bicyclist since he was 5 and has experienced several incidences
of senseless “road rage” while riding his bike and has heard too
vSAFETY continued on page 14
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