Parents and kids learn about bike safety with Regina police

CTV News

5 hours ago

In effort to prevent collisions involving pedestrians and bicycles in the city, youth are participating in a bike safety session with Regina Police Service (RPS). (Sierra D'Souza Butts/CTV News)
Through fun and educational activities, youth learned about bike safety with Regina Police Service (RPS) members on Sunday.
'We're trying to teach the younger people what the rules of the road are so that as they grow up, we are a big bicycle community in Regina,' explained Sgt. Ross Kauk of the RPS downtown safety team.
Held at the Conexus Arts Centre parking lot, the initiative aims to teach parents and kids the different rules and regulations of bicycle riding in along roads.
'When parents are riding with their kids, their kids can ride on the sidewalk but their parents can't. We want to make sure [parents] understand why their kids are stopping and walking their bikes across at an intersection,' Kauk explained.
J.R. Lamanila and his sister Queen told CTV News all about the different tips throughout the bike safety session.
'[I learned] that you have to go slow and stop when you see a stop light, and use your helmet every time,' said JR.
'I learned that on the sidewalk bicycles can go in there, but it's based on the wheel size. The kid size bike can go on the sidewalk, but the bigger bikes have to go on the road,' added Queen.
With frequent collisions involving pedestrians and cyclists in the city, RPS said teaching the public about safety measures is the top priority.
'We're looking for safety. We see a lot of collisions involving pedestrians and bicycles in this city and a lot of injuries happen with those collisions,' Kauk said.
'We want to make sure everybody understands and everybody slows down. Everybody respects each other's space and that we have safer roadways.'
Kauk added he's noticed the positive impact the sessions have had on the community, and how it continues to educate current and future drivers.
'Every year we're seeing that more and more people are understanding what the bicycle hand signals are, and that translates into when they get a car and they start driving,' he said.
'Now they're going to understand what the bicycle is in front of them on the roads are using those hand signals for.'