School Resource Officers, Nick Eiden and Tim Dreiling, along with The Hays Police Department invite students to participate in Bike to School Day, today  in celebration of National Bike Month.

The Hays PD Officers remind all bicyclists to obey the traffic laws and rules, and to ride safely. Use the necessary protective gear, including a helmet, light colored clothing, and appropriate footwear. Once you arrive at school, be sure to lock up your bike, so that you can ride it home, too. Be safe, and be responsible!

May is Bicycle Safety Month and a perfect time to discuss bike safety with your child. Start by discussing the importance of using a safe bike and riding safely. Explain to youngsters the different parts of a bike and how to do a safety check before riding. Help youngsters understand that, like a car or truck, a bicycle is a vehicle and must obey traffic laws. Encourage children to become responsible for their own safety on and around bicycles.

You Can Help:
Discuss the different parts of a bike that need to be checked and the most important do’s and don’ts of bike riding. Urge your child to wear a helmet. Many bike accidents involve serious head injuries that could have been avoided with protective headgear. And create an additional safety rule: if your youngster is going bike riding with a friend, have him or her leave a note in a specific location telling with whom he or she is riding and where they intend to ride that day. Then, should an emergency arise, it will be easier for family members to locate the child.

Review the mechanics of a bike check-up with your child. Remind him or her to make sure the bell or horn works, the lights or reflectors can easily be seen, and any worn or broken pedals are replaced. Have your child hang the checklist near where his or her bike is kept as a reminder to do a safety check whenever the bike is used.

Provide an example for your child by wearing a helmet when bicycling. Buy safety-approved helmets for you and your child. Look for helmets with an ANSI, Snell, or ASTM safety approval sticker inside the helmet.

Snug Helmet Guidelines:
Improperly wearing a helmet can be more dangerous than not wearing one at all. Buy a helmet that fits correctly, and make sure it is always worn properly. Use the following guidelines:

Make sure no more than three fingers fit between the chin and the helmet strap.

When pushing the helmet from the back forward, the helmet should not touch the bridge of the nose. It should sit securely and squarely one or two fingers above the eyebrow.

When pushing the helmet upward and back from the front, the helmet should not go above the forehead.

A Word to Kids:
The most common place for a bike to be stolen is from your home. But bikes have been stolen from parks, schools, stores, and libraries. A bike can be stolen from just about anywhere that anyone would park one! The most important thing to know is that MOST STOLEN BIKES WEREN’T LOCKED!

There are many different locks, chains, cables, and bicycle locking devices available. Some are much stronger than others. You can tell by comparing the thickness of cables, thickness of the shackle on the lock and whether the lock is “case” hardened. Don’t be afraid to ask the salesman any questions you might have. Buy the best lock you can afford and whatever it is, USE IT. The best lock and chain is useless if you leave it wrapped around the seat post or at home in the garage.

If your bike is stolen, call the police immediately. Tell them who you are, where the bike was stolen, and when, and give a description of the bike.

Remember:

Register and mark your bike.

Always lock your bike.

Never loan your bike.

Keep your bike locked and out of sight at home.

Rules of the Road:
Obey all applicable traffic regulations, signs, signals and markings. Bicycles are subject to the same rules of vehicular traffic, wherever they apply.

Observe all local ordinances pertaining to bike safety. It is your responsibility to know them and abide them.

Keep right: drive with traffic, not against it. Drive single file. Keep as close to the curb as practical.

Watch out for car doors opening or for cars pulling into traffic.

Don’t carry passengers or packages that interfere with your vision or control.

Be extremely careful at intersections, especially when making a left turn. Most accidents happen at intersections. If traffic is heavy, get off and walk your bike with pedestrian traffic.

Use hand signals to indicate turning or stopping.

Protect yourself at night with the required reflectors and lights.

Drive a safe bike. Have it inspected.

Drive your bike defensively; watch out for the other guy.