Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
HURLEY POLICE Chief Chris Colassaco talks with third graders at the Hurley K-12 School about bicycle safety Tuesday morning.
By LARRY HOLCOMBE
Hurley - Hurley Police Chief Chris Colassaco presented 36 Hurley third graders with bicycle helmets Tuesday morning.
"We want to keep the kids safe and make sure they know about bike safety," Colassaco said as he pushed his police bike in the Hurley K-12 School along the commons area and to the elementary gym.
Besides showing the students a brief bicycle safety video, Colassaco talked with the kids about an "ABC" check list for pre-ride inspection and other safety concerns, but "the most important thing is to wear your helmet."
Colassaco pointed out he wears his helmet when riding the police bike for work, or while riding his own bicycle. He acknowledged, and many of the students agreed, that young bicyclists fall when they're learning and it's important to protect your head.
"If you break a leg or an arm, that can heal, but if you hurt your brain, you could have some long lasting problems," he said.
The man on the video echoed Colassaco's point about the importance of wearing a helmet, pointing out most people don't think they need to wear a helmet because they won't be in an accident, but accidents can happen to anyone and it's important to protect your brain.
Colassaco's "ABC" pre-ride check list include: A is for air in the tires; B is for brakes: and C is for the chain that may need adjustment. He demonstrated how the front and back brakes work differently, and said it's important to use them together and not just the front brakes.
He took questions from the students and spoke of many other important factors, including:
Riding the proper size bike. "You might think a bigger bike will go faster, but you need to be able to reach the pedals and steer the bike safely," he said.
Don't wear headphones while riding. "You may want to listen to music while you ride, but you have to stay alert and be able to hear cars and maybe other people calling out to you to warn you," he said.
Obey rules of the road. "We're suppose to ride our bikes on the right side of the road - with the traffic - but walk on the left side, against the traffic," he said.
Wear bright colors in order to be seen in the daytime and make sure your bike has a light and reflectors if you plan to ride at night. But best of all, don't ride at night. "When the sun starts to go down, it's best to get off your bike," he said.
