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i: FATS) : iy aside 3 o FPA) Se) -. ; ' . 'oe FVERSRTA RTEVES FY EA SURI SRP") SFI VEEP. Carelessness Leads To Accidents rT PORT PERRY STAR -- Wednesday, April 11, 1979 -- 11 . Bicycle safety . . . neglected by children, parents by Carlene Kirby At 8 p.m. on September 28, 1978, a 14-year-old' Durham & Youth was cycling along the shoulder of Bayley Street in Ajax with a couple of friends. The young man was wearing dark clothing and the bike he was riding was not equipped with either a ® front light or rear reflector. @ DURHAM He veered onto the road and was struck by a west- bound vehicle . and died of head injuries in Ajax hos- pital one hour later. No charges were laid and an inquest was held to look into the boy's death. Coroner Denis Gabrielle said that changes must be made and the main change should be in REGIONAL MUNICIPALITY OF DURHAM the Highway Traffic Act. Dr. Gabrielle said that "'bikes should have to be sold with safety equipment'. He explained that there is currently a move in the United Staes and the pro- vince of Manitoba to intro- duce stiff new regulations with regards to safety standards. CLOSURE OF SANITARY LANDFILL SITE The Scugog Waste Disposal Site will be closed Friday, April 13, 1979, due to the Good Friday Holiday. Normal operations will continue Saturday, April 14, 1979. W.A. TWELVETREES, P. ENG. COMMISSIONER OF WORKS. "proper Dr. Gabrielle realizes that the regulations set out by these two legislative bodies will encompass all of Canada because manufacturers will not produce some bicycles with the required safety devices and others without. "This is not enough", Dr. Gabrielle said, "we have to enforce our own regula- tions." As far as safety standards and control of the vehicle are concerned, because a bicycle is considered a vehicle under the Highway Traffic Act, the law does exist. But Dr. Gabrielle says, "it is not obeyed, and it is not enfor- ced. He says that children are left to their own devices and that it's lots of fun to ride around. "Parents who should be looking after child- ren don't", Dr. Gabrielle said. "We can't legislate parents to look after their children." The Highway Traffic Act is quite explicit in detailing (He safety devices required for bicycles. Every bicycle or tricycle must be equipped with a warning device such as a bell or horn. A white or amber light must be positioned on the front of the bike and a red reflector on the back. To aid visibility after dark a strip of red reflective material at least 10 inches long and one inch wide must also appear on the back of the bike and white reflective material of the same dimen- sions should be fastened to the front forks. The Act also main- tains that the bicycle must be in safe operating condi- tion with adequate lubrica- tion to the front hub and head bearing, coaster brakes and crank bearings need good multi-purpose grease and the chain and pedals need light machine oil. Handlebars must be straight, tight and the right height. The handle grips must be snug and the handle- bar nuts tight. Tires should have no cuts or bruises and the air pressure should read as follows: 50-65 lbs. - 11" tires; 40-60 lbs. - 133" tires; 35-55 lbs. - 1%" tires; and 30-50 lbs. - 134" tires. The wheels should be checked for bent and missing spokes. Brakes must be properly adjusted, and the chain should be cleared and oiled regularly. The proper tension to the chain is about a 33' "up and down movement. Anyone caught violating the Highway Traffic Act is subject to an $8.00 fine. Dr. Gabrielle claims that this fine is not severe enough to prevent violations of the law. Durham Regional Police Safety Bureau has a program of instruction in bicycle safety which outlines the proper care and require- ments outlined in the Act. The program consists of films and slide presenta- tions, classroom instruction on how to make proper turns and maintenance of their bicycles. Constable John Logan of the Region's Safety Bureau says that he only offers bicycle safety to grades three to five because "students get tired of hearing it year after year. They just tune it out after a while Constable Logan, who works with students in R.H. Cornish Public Se¢hool in Port Perry, as well as Raglan and Prince Albert Public Schools says that many students are not aware that they can be charged with careless driving. '*'Most problems result from no lights, kids riding all over the road, and poor tires or poor brakes. We have the most problems with 13-14 year olds, I guess it's just a difficult age," he said. Constable Logan explained that bicycle charges are handled in juvenile court. The problem with this is that all juvenile cases are heard here, including vandalism and drugs as examples. There is no equivalent to a traffic court for juvenile offenders, and the courts are already overloaded with other offenses. Most bicycle charges that do go to court get off with just a warning, PC Logan said, and the kids think that it's just a joke. 'At a recent meeting in Peterborough, Constable Logan said that they had come up with the idea for some type of board for bicycle violations. On the board would sit a retired judge, a retired policeman, and two other members of the community. Anyone stopped for viola- tions of the Highway Traffic Act would be asked to appear before the board with his parents. This would be a voluntary appearance but if he refused then charges would automatically be laid. In order to cut down on accidents and violations, the Ontario Government has devised a program of testing know as the GO Safely program. The testing con- sists of a Traffic Knowledge test, a skill test for care and control of the vehicle and an inspection of the mechanical fitness of the bicycle. This program of testing is available but must be requested by parents or organizations such as schools, scouts, girl guides or church organizations. After the request has been made a GO Safely **Roadeo" is then set up with police assistance. Information for these courses is obtained through the Ministry of Transportation and Communication, Public and Safety Information Branch in Downsview. According to Steve Bull, who does the bicycle repairs at Sportsland in Port Perry, bicycles should be cleaned and inspected before they are put away for the winter. Once they are taken out of storage they should be thoroughly cleaned, cables and bearings should be checked, all nuts and bolts tightened, and the bike should be oiled. . "Do not over-oil it because the dirt will collect in the oil and it is not good for the bike," he advises. Mr. Bull explained that one bike was brought in to have the gears adjusted, but the brake handles were just hanging. They did not want that fixed. Ina case like that Mr. Bull says that he will usually call the people and ask if they want it fixed. Often he will just do it anyway. "It is mainly just careless- ness that leads to most bike repairs," Mr. Bull said. "You have to treat a bicycle with some respect." WILLIAMSON For the Best Deals on New iM G.M. CARS or TRUCKS RICHARD HUNT MOTOR SALES Uxbridge 852-3331 \_ - Thinking of Leasing? Give us a Try! G. DEEGAN Denture Therapy Clinic 305 QUEEN STREET - PORT PERRY 985-2916 Monday to Friday Evenings & Saturdays by Appointment FERTILIZERS C.l.L. 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