Did you know?
- 75% of all bicyclist deaths result from head injuries
- 90% of bicycle accidents don’t involve automobiles
- Many serious bicycle accidents happen on quiet residential streets, in parking lots and on paths
In honour of Bike Safety Week, we want to highlight some important safety tips for riding your bike in Town. Rosetown Council passed Rosetown Bylaw #765-15 that requires that children age 14 and under to wear a helmet while biking, among other safety requirements. These changes were an effort by Council to reduce the incidence of accident and injury.
Helmets designed for urban riding and commuting are both economical and comfortable to wear and can be used for other activities like inline skating and skateboarding. When buying a helmet, make sure it fits well and bears a certification sticker from the CSA, EN, ASTM, CPSC or Snell B9/B95 - meaning, it’s been tested for impact standards to ensure a high level of safety.
Many municipalities in the West Central region have also adopted similar bylaws in an effort to protect our youth and mitigate injury.
Bylaw #765-15 also stipulates:
- Riders must bike with at least one hand on the handlebars at all time
- Riders must bike no more than two abreast
- No more than one person per bike is permitted, except for a tandem bike or with a rear-mounted carrier according to the manufacturers’ instructions
- Riders must bike on the street, not the sidewalk, as close to the right-hand curb as possible, except when turning left and must use appropriate hand signals
- Riders must abide by the rules of the road (stop signs, yield signs, etc.)
- Reckless driving or acrobatics is not permitted. This includes removing feet/hands from the handlebars/pedals, riding on one wheel, jumping curbs or mediums, or stunting
- When left on the street, bicycles must be in an upright position only and not chained to structures other than bicycle stands (poles, trees and other structures not permitted)
For more information, please contact the Town Office at 306-882-2214, or by email.