Prevention Post article

Cycling News

P.O.W. City Kinsmen launch bicycle safety program

Article for The Prevention Post
Newsletter of the Saskatchewan Institute on the Prevention of Handicaps

By Darrell Noakes, Borealis Outdoor Adventure, Saskatoon, SK

To reduce bicycling injuries to children, the P.O.W. City Kinsmen conducted a two-stage bicycle safety education program in Saskatoon schools during May and June, 1996. The program, aimed at grade three students, presented a combination of classroom learning and on-bike skills practice delivered by trained instructors.

The Kinsmen club wanted to make a meaningful contribution to prevent injuries to children and selected bicycle safety as its focus, says Mike Grieman, P.O.W. City Kinsmen member.

"For the first year, it went really well," he says. "The results were tremendous compared to other programs in their first year. The program was well instructed and received a lot of positive feedback."

"Children 8 to 12 years old are at the highest risk of being injured in bicycle falls and collisions," says Darrell Noakes, a CAN-BIKE national examiner and member of the Saskatchewan Coalition on Bicycle Safety.

By getting children into bicycle safety education just as they gain the strength and desire to travel further and faster on their bicycles, the program provides essential riding skills and traffic knowledge necessary to prevent cycling injuries from occurring, he says.

Cycling injuries are the second leading cause of hospital admissions for children five to nine years old and the third leading cause for ten to fourteen year-olds.

In the six years from 1989 through 1994, 840 children aged 9 - 14 were admitted to hospital in Saskatchewan, resulting in 2502 days of stay, according to "Child Injuries in Saskatchewan: Deaths and Hospitalizations, 1989 - 1994, 1996," a study published by the Saskatchewan Institute on Prevention of Handicaps.

Of Saskatoon's 70 public and Catholic schools, 49 participated in the program. Nearly every grade three student in each school took part.

In some cases, grade four students were also included, such as when a classroom was made up of grade three and four students. Occasionally, grade two students from a combined grade two and three classroom joined in as well, with the program modified slightly to accommodate their needs.

The program was designed to help students learn skills which prevent cycling crashes, as well as responsible habits and attitudes about bicycle use.

Students began with one hour of classroom instruction, which introduced them to basic principles of bicycle safety. Students learned about their bicycles, helmets and safety accessories, proper clothing, rules of the road, traffic signs and hand signals.

At the end of the session, instructors helped students adjust their helmets, then headed outside for an hour of on-bike practice in the school parking lot.

In the outdoor session, students checked their bicycles, then practised skills necessary for riding safely in their neighbourhoods. Students learned how to start and stop effectively, how to ride in a straight line without swerving, and where to look for traffic and other hazards.

University students were recruited as instructors. Five students in education, physical education and other faculties completed a CAN-BIKE certification course, funded by the P.O.W. City Kinsmen, followed by certification as Kids CAN-BIKE instructors.

The instructors, contracted by the Kinsmen club and aided by staff and volunteers from the Saskatchewan Cycling Association, were assigned to schools in pairs to deliver the program.

While smaller classroom groups could be covered in a morning or afternoon, larger groups of students needed a different approach. Instructors spent a day in these schools, arriving in the morning to present the classroom sessions, then taking smaller groups of students outside throughout the remainder of the day.

"All the teachers had to do was make two hours available and help supervise the students," says Darrell Noakes. "All the training was provided by our instructors."

"The training fits right in with the current health education curriculum for elementary students and meets national standards under the Canadian Cycling Association's CAN-BIKE program," he says. "We realize that it's not always possible for teachers to have CAN-BIKE certification, so we're bringing in CAN-BIKE instructors to fill the need. By providing the certification to university students, we're making sure that future generations of teachers and public health professionals have the skills needed to conduct effective injury-prevention programs."

Saskatoon Health District and the Saskatoon Police Service helped promote and deliver the program. The health district provided a $5000 grant. Public health nurses conducted surveys to evaluate the effectiveness of the program and handed out bicycle safety information for students to take home. The police promoted the program to the schools and collected the requests from schools interested in signing up for the program.

"Initially, we needed a program to get the ball rolling, to do something in the community" says Mike Grieman. "It was a chance to get involved with the health district and the police. Getting their support helped to open doors when we approached the schools."

In addition to skills training, the P.O.W. City Kinsmen worked on reinforcing safe cycling in other ways.

To remind cyclists and the public of the importance of wearing a helmet, the Kinsmen purchased a month-long advertising campaign on the exterior of Saskatoon city buses, with artwork donated by SGI.

The Kinsmen hosted a "bike party" to provide additional practice for young cyclists and to involve the community in bicycle safety awareness.

Members of the Saskatoon Police Service assisted Kinsmen and other volunteers with safety demonstrations, bicycle inspections and helmet adjustments.

Instructors conducted Kids CAN-BIKE Festival training for everyone who came out between the ages of 6 and 13.

The Kinsmen negotiated a special purchase of helmets from a local bicycle shop. During the schools program, instructors loaned the helmets to children who did not have their own.

The Kinsmen donated helmets to inner city schools and gave them away at the bike party to young cyclists who could not afford helmets.

The Kinsmen also donated two large trailers to the school boards for schools' use in transporting bicycles for field trips. Using a design commonly used for transporting snowmobiles, each trailer consisted of a large flatbed area capable of holding several dozen bicycles. Industrial arts students built bicycle racks for the trailers, giving these students valuable experience in industrial design.

"We think it's important to promote bike safety for children," says Mike Grieman. "Because one day, they'll be riding in a more challenging environment, as university students or to work."

- 30 -

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P.O.W. City Kinsmen launch bicycle safety program Article for The Prevention Post Newsletter of the Saskatchewan Institute on the Prevention of Handicaps By Darrell Noakes, Borealis Outdoor Adventure, Saskatoon, SK To reduce bicycling injuries to children, the P.O.W. City Kinsmen conducted a two-stage bicycle safety education program in Saskatoon schools during May and June, 1996. The program, aimed at grade three students, presented a combination of classroom learning and on-bike skills practice delivered by trained instructors. The Kinsmen club wanted to make a meaningful contribution to prevent injuries to children and selected bicycle safety as its focus, says Mike Grieman, P.O.W. City Kinsmen member. "For the first year, it went really well," he says. "The results were tremendous compared to other programs in their first year. The program was well instructed and received a lot of positive feedback." "Children 8 to 12 years old are at the highest risk of being injured in bicycle falls and collisions," says Darrell Noakes, a CAN-BIKE national examiner and member of the Saskatchewan Coalition on Bicycle Safety. By getting children into bicycle safety education just as they gain the strength and desire to travel further and faster on their bicycles, the program provides essential riding skills and traffic knowledge necessary to prevent cycling injuries from occurring, he says. Cycling injuries are the second leading cause of hospital admissions for children five to nine years old and the third leading cause for ten to fourteen year-olds. In the six years from 1989 through 1994, 840 children aged 9 - 14 were admitted to hospital in Saskatchewan, resulting in 2502 days of stay, according to "Child Injuries in Saskatchewan: Deaths and Hospitalizations, 1989 - 1994, 1996," a study published by the Saskatchewan Institute on Prevention of Handicaps. Of Saskatoon's 70 public and Catholic schools, 49 participated in the program. Nearly every grade three student in each school took part. In some cases, grade four students were also included, such as when a classroom was made up of grade three and four students. Occasionally, grade two students from a combined grade two and three classroom joined in as well, with the program modified slightly to accommodate their needs. The program was designed to help students learn skills which prevent cycling crashes, as well as responsible habits and attitudes about bicycle use. Students began with one hour of classroom instruction, which introduced them to basic principles of bicycle safety. Students learned about their bicycles, helmets and safety accessories, proper clothing, rules of the road, traffic signs and hand signals. At the end of the session, instructors helped students adjust their helmets, then headed outside for an hour of on-bike practice in the school parking lot. In the outdoor session, students checked their bicycles, then practised skills necessary for riding safely in their neighbourhoods. Students learned how to start and stop effectively, how to ride in a straight line without swerving, and where to look for traffic and other hazards. University students were recruited as instructors. Five students in education, physical education and other faculties completed a CAN-BIKE certification course, funded by the P.O.W. City Kinsmen, followed by certification as Kids CAN-BIKE instructors. The instructors, contracted by the Kinsmen club and aided by staff and volunteers from the Saskatchewan Cycling Association, were assigned to schools in pairs to deliver the program. While smaller classroom groups could be covered in a morning or afternoon, larger groups of students needed a different approach. Instructors spent a day in these schools, arriving in the morning to present the classroom sessions, then taking smaller groups of students outside throughout the remainder of the day. "All the teachers had to do was make two hours available and help supervise the students," says Darrell Noakes. "All the training was provided by our instructors." "The training fits right in with the current health education curriculum for elementary students and meets national standards under the Canadian Cycling Association's CAN-BIKE program," he says. "We realize that it's not always possible for teachers to have CAN-BIKE certification, so we're bringing in CAN-BIKE instructors to fill the need. By providing the certification to university students, we're making sure that future generations of teachers and public health professionals have the skills needed to conduct effective injury-prevention programs." Saskatoon Health District and the Saskatoon Police Service helped promote and deliver the program. The health district provided a $5000 grant. Public health nurses conducted surveys to evaluate the effectiveness of the program and handed out bicycle safety information for students to take home. The police promoted the program to the schools and collected the requests from schools interested in signing up for the program. "Initially, we needed a program to get the ball rolling, to do something in the community" says Mike Grieman. "It was a chance to get involved with the health district and the police. Getting their support helped to open doors when we approached the schools." In addition to skills training, the P.O.W. City Kinsmen worked on reinforcing safe cycling in other ways. To remind cyclists and the public of the importance of wearing a helmet, the Kinsmen purchased a month-long advertising campaign on the exterior of Saskatoon city buses, with artwork donated by SGI. The Kinsmen hosted a "bike party" to provide additional practice for young cyclists and to involve the community in bicycle safety awareness. Members of the Saskatoon Police Service assisted Kinsmen and other volunteers with safety demonstrations, bicycle inspections and helmet adjustments. Instructors conducted Kids CAN-BIKE Festival training for everyone who came out between the ages of 6 and 13. The Kinsmen negotiated a special purchase of helmets from a local bicycle shop. During the schools program, instructors loaned the helmets to children who did not have their own. The Kinsmen donated helmets to inner city schools and gave them away at the bike party to young cyclists who could not afford helmets. The Kinsmen also donated two large trailers to the school boards for schools' use in transporting bicycles for field trips. Using a design commonly used for transporting snowmobiles, each trailer consisted of a large flatbed area capable of holding several dozen bicycles. Industrial arts students built bicycle racks for the trailers, giving these students valuable experience in industrial design. "We think it's important to promote bike safety for children," says Mike Grieman. "Because one day, they'll be riding in a more challenging environment, as university students or to work." - 30 - News index page

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