Students get helmets, safety lesson

Wednesday, May 18 at Ralph Witters Elementary, Marcia Shanor with the Wyoming Trial Lawyers Association spoke to third-graders about bicycle safety.

Before getting on a bike, Shanor said, it's important to remember the ABCs of safe riding - A, for checking air in the tires because flat tires make a bike hard to ride and cause more wear and tear; B, for the brakes, including checking to ensure the handles respond and the front and back brake pads engage; and C for the chain, which means making sure it's tight and also checking to make sure shoestrings and pant legs can't get caught.

Shanor said kids should also check with adults to make sure their bike seats are in the proper position for them to reach the pedals and ride comfortably.

Regarding the rules of the road, Shanor said bike riders have to follow the same rules as drivers, meaning they must ride on the right side of the road and use signals to indicate when they're turning or stopping. Just like in a car, if such indications are not done it could cause an accident.

When coming to a stop sign, it's important to stop and look both ways for cars before proceeding. Shanor noted riders might even look both ways twice to be extra safe. In the same way, riders should stop at red lights, and look both ways for traffic when the light turns green, before proceeding.

While yellow lights indicate to slow down, Shanor suggested coming to a full stop.

As for helmets, Shanor said some might not think helmets are cool or they don't want to deal with "helmet hair." She said not to worry about such things, as helmets are for prevention against serious injury.

Helmets should be worn to where only one or two fingers fit between a person's eyebrows and the helmet, straps should go around the ears and the chin strap should be no more than one finger width under the chin.

If a person is in one crash where the helmet is impacted, it should be replaced. Shanor explained after one crash the foam in the helmet becomes really compressed and loses its effectiveness.

Using a helmet, a hammer and two eggs named Fred and Emily Jean, Shanor gave a brief demonstration. Fred was placed under a helmet, and was able to endure several hammer blows from the kids. Emily Jean, with no helmet, didn't fare so well and cracked after one light tap.

Shanor said lawyers often do work in cases where people get hurt. To help prevent injuries, the association provides helmets to third grade students across the state.

Prior to returning to class, each of the students received a personal fitting for their brand new helmets. Shanor said she looks forward to seeing the kids wear them when they are out riding this summer.