More than 30 kids showed up and suited up for the 1st Annual Bike Rodeo at the Innisfail Library/Learning Centre.
The event was held on July 20. The bike rodeo was a joint project between the Innisfail Public Library, the Innisfail RCMP and the Town of Innisfail. It was planned and organized by the staff and volunteers of the library.
"This rodeo was mainly about bicycle and helmet safety, but we found that it became a whole lot more. It was an event that brought this community together,” said Melinda Mercer, the library's youth and adult programmer.
“We had a few spectators that came just to see what it was all about. It also was a great opportunity for the kids to get more familiar with their local RCMP officers."
Participants, who ranged in age from five to 13, had a half hour of classroom instruction and were taken outside to practise their skills on a challenging outdoor safety course.
“The day was about teaching the kids of Innisfail how to be safe on their bikes and the proper way to do things, from the equipment they are wearing to the sizing of their bikes, to the rules of the road and the proper hand signals,” said RCMP Const. Christopher Lavery. “It is also about giving them a base level of skill on their bikes. We had figure eights, and going back and forth through pylons, and working on steering and balance, just so they could feel comfortable on their bikes and have the basic skills in order to have that feeling of safety.”
Ryan Anderson, a Town of Innisfail community peace officer, said events like a bike rodeo have a positive impact on children.
“Every time I see kids on bikes now, the majority have helmets on and I have parents coming up and telling me how enthusiastic their kids are about using hand signals when they go on family rides,” said Anderson. “I am quite ecstatic that it is making a positive impact. It is really good to see and hear examples of these kids retaining this information.”
Lavery said parents and children should also know that it is against the law for anyone under 18 to ride a bicycle without a helmet. Under provincial law, anyone under 18, their parents and even bike passengers can receive a provincial violation ticket and be fined $69.
“It is definitely a possibility. If you are on a bike you have to obey the rules of the road, absolutely,” said Lavery. “I wouldn't say it happens often but if somebody is disobeying the rules of the road on a bike and causing a safety concern, I would say most RCMP officers and peace officers would give that person a ticket.”
However, Lavery added police normally deal with these cases through a positive proactive approach.
“We reinforce that they should be wearing a helmet for their own safety, especially youth. We also rely on our positive ticketing program,” said Lavery, adding the program is designed to hand tickets for free fast-food items or movie passes for acts of good behaviour and kindness. “We really do want to reinforce the positives, ‘Hey, if you were wearing a helmet we would want to give you one of these tickets.'
“That is the angle we are coming from, that we positively reinforce the good things about wearing a helmet,” said Lavery.
