Call to Action

Every single day I read something that calls out our youth as inattentive, irresponsible, and uneducated when it comes to bike/pedestrian safety. Well imagine that! Where are kids learning about this kind of safety these days? I hear things in the classroom that speak to what kind of education these kids get, and it’s not exactly what keeps us safe out there. (what is useful about shaking fists and cursing at anything in front of you?)

When we’re in schools, we teach rules of the road, give lessons on visibility, and show how to check a bike/scooter before a ride. But when we don’t have the student’s bike or scooter there, or if they don’t relay the message home, it may be hard to make sure the lesson is understood. So, we’re letting you know, parents, that we’ve been in and will be in schools across the valley, talking to your children about being visible, riding right, using hand signals, wearing helmets and all the rest. Will you go take a look at their bikes, with them, to make sure they are safe? Will you check them every day and make sure they know where new batteries are, or where a flashlight is.

Next time you are driving with your kids, look for pedestrians and bicyclists, and scooters and skateboards, then pretend that’s your kid doing that action and act accordingly. Your child parrots back what you say and thinks about that person the way you think about them. When you say “what’s that idiot doing in the middle of the road on that bike,” your child immediately takes that in and equates riding in the road with anger and bad behavior. We know that people sometimes do bad things, but most people who ride in the road are either staying away from parked cars or setting up for a left turn. Practice patience, and above all, teach your children well. We will all be better for it.

Lisa Brady, Director

VRT Safe Routes to School Program