Police: Helmets critical for bicyclist safety
Authorities say one of the most important safety steps for a bicyclist is wearing a helmet.
And while helmet use isn’t required everywhere, police, firefighters, school principals and the Spokane Regional Health District are urging kids to make it standard practice this summer, hoping it will become a lifelong habit and even rub off on their parents.
Area law enforcement bike patrols kicked into full gear today along the Centennial Trail, from Spokane Valley to the Idaho state line, and on some city streets. The officers said they’ll be checking for helmets.
“I think it’s critical for people to wear their bike helmet, it just takes that one little time where they aren’t paying attention or someone else isn’t,” to experience a life-altering accident, said Spokane Valley Police Lt. Steve Jones. “It’s too fun of a sport and an activity to ruin it by not wearing a helmet.”
The four Spokane Valley officers on bikes and the two from Liberty Lake plan to use the bike patrols to interact with citizens and educate those on bikes about safety.
“If we see someone without a bike helmet, especially a young child, then we stop them and talk to them about it,” Liberty Lake Police Chief Brian Asmus said. If a school-age kid needs a helmet they have free ones at the police station.
Spokane Valley and Liberty Lake police both carry coupons for free ice-cream cones from McDonald’s to give as rewards to kids wearing helmets.
“Some of the kids say, ‘Sorry, dad, you don’t get an ice cream because you aren’t wearing a helmet,’ ” said Spokane Valley Police Lt. Steve Jones. “And we don’t want to shame the adults into wearing them, but the kids’ reactions help.”
Mom and dad are No. 1 in setting the example, so it’s important they wear them, too, said Ana Matthews, of the Spokane Regional Health District. Matthews was at Bowdish Middle School in Spokane Valley on Thursday to hand out 40 all-sport and bike helmets.
Matthews said she selected Bowdish because she observed several kids riding their bikes to school without helmets.
Required in Spokane, helmet use is not mandated in Spokane Valley. The City Council is considering an ordinance that would change that.
The Bowdish kids lined up to be fitted and told officials about accidents in which a helmet saved them from worse injuries.
“Mine’s cracked because I ran over a basketball and flipped my bike,” said one middle-school boy.
Bowdish Principal Robert Johnson said he compliments children he sees wearing their helmets.
“I’m really concerned about kids and their safety,” Johnson said. “There are not enough of them wearing them.”
Firefighters and law officers in the Valley advocate a helmet law.
“Wearing your helmet just makes good sense, like wearing a seat belt. The two things people can do for safety is learn to ride on the right side of the road with traffic and wear a helmet,” said Spokane Valley firefighter Clifton Mehaffey. “I have been to so many ‘nothing’ accidents where heads have hit the asphalt.”