Friday, November 2, 2012

Community Column by Don Butt (November 2012)

(Town of Mono, ON) This month I want to talk a bit about bicycles and their riders. Some of the things I see with bikes on the road scares me and I wonder how we avoid more crashes and injuries. Basically, the Highway Traffic Act applies to bicycles and motorbikes the same as other vehicles with some small changes. They must not ride side by side and if approached from the rear must pull to the right as far as possible and the approaching vehicle must pull to the left as far as is safe. When riding at night, bikes must have a working light on the front and a visible reflector on the rear. This is one thing that concerns me as many have no lights or reflectors and a rider on a dark coloured bike wearing dark clothing is almost impossible to see. Proper lights and reflectors, light coloured clothing, or reflective strips which may be sewn to clothing, would go a long way to make riding at night safer. Parents, please make note to check your children's bikes !

Another item which constantly amazes me is the way young people use crossings .Proper crossing lights have lighted indicators for walking (a person walking) and a big hand held up for “don’t walk”. People constantly ignore these and perhaps because a car is not passing at the time, they walk anyway. What about a car in the process of turning or one hidden by a line of cars waiting to turn? This can be scary for drivers who as like as not, will be held responsible if they strike a pedestrian. Please watch the walk lights and go accordingly, you may live longer!

Safety Tip
Winter driving - Keep extra space at all times; in moving traffic, when stopped behind other vehicles and on approach of stopped vehicles. (This tip comes to you from Doug Annett and the Skid Control School at Oakville, Ont.( www.skidcontrolschool.com)

Road Watch
For those who do not have access to a computer, our forms are still available at Mono Plaza and OPP at Primrose. Otherwise use our web site on the Internet.

Don Butt is currently the Public Relations and Media Contact for the Mono Community Policing Committee. If you would like more information on anything covered in Don’s Column or would like to see a topic of public interest or safety covered; post a comment below.

No comments:

Post a Comment