The borough’s public safety team joined Haddonfield police and the school district for the town’s first bike rodeo for kids at Central Elementary School on Sept. 19.
Youngsters learned about bike safety and tested their skills in a bike obstacle course that featured cones where kids could practice zig-zagging. They took part in a slow race where the slowest person won, and learned about slowing down and stopping and using hand signals. There was also a speed race.
“This is a district in town where a lot of kids ride their bikes to school,” said police Lt. Danielle Grasso, who was at the event. “We just want to show them the right ways to do it to keep everybody safe.”
Kids could also get their helmets fitted properly and their bikes checked by Erlton Bike Shop in Cherry Hill. Triple AAA and Cooper Health were on hand with safety tips. The obstacle course was marked in chalk so kids could ride in steady circles around cones and learn various maneuvers.
“It was a great opportunity to learn about bike safety,” said Tatem Elementary School parent Zach Christman, who brought his two boys to the event. “The Haddonfield police department did a great job of putting this on. What’s not to like about it?”
His 10-year-old son Artie – who’s been riding since he was 5 – said zig-zagging around the cones was his favorite part.
Erlton Bike Shop owner Richard Tustin also fixed and repaired bikes on site. The event emphasized what riders should look for when it comes to bike safety, including flat tires, unsecured cables, nuts and bolts that aren’t tight, or even just loose.
“If you feel a bike rattle,” he instructed, “you have a problem. You need to get it addressed. He said repairs can range from $15 to $18, but a full service is as much as $89.
“It’s a big range,” Tustin added. “It really depends on the bicycle. Always air up your tires before you go, wear your helmet and check your bike for rattles.”
Maureen Donnelly, coordinator of Safe Kids Southern New Jersey, an organization led by Cooper Hospital in Camden, said it gave safety presentations at all three elementary schools in Haddonfield last year, but they continue this year.
“You want to wear your helmets low on your forehead, so only one finger above the eyebrow is where the helmet should start,” Donnelly advised. “Children tend to wear it on the back of their heads, so their foreheads are exposed. We want to make sure the straps form a V around each ear and that the children wear the helmet buckled, because many times, we see children riding around with it unbuckled. It should be nice and snug once it’s buckled underneath, so that the helmet stays in place if the children fall.”
At her table during the bike rodeo, Donnelly featured a brain-themed helmet and a model brain to show how soft the organ is, and how the skull will protect the brain normally. But if a rider is doing any kind of wheeled sport where they’re more likely to fall and hit their head, she noted, a helmet is a must, because they are 90% effective in preventing a brain injury.
