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(Mat Barrett/northeastNOW Staff)
Bike Safety Week

Bike Safety Week takes place in Saskatchewan

May 13, 2019 | 2:02 PM

It’s Bike Safety Week across Saskatchewan and paramedics with the Melfort Ambulance are doing their part to make sure everyone is safe.

Starting Sunday, May 12 and running until Saturday, May 18, the theme for Bike Safety Week is Build Safe Bikers. Wayne Therres with Melfort Ambulance said there is one big thing they preach during this week.

“Helmet use with bicycles, rollerblades, skateboards, scooters, anything like that has a 90 to 95 per cent chance of reducing a head injury should you have a fall or be involved in a crash,” Therres told northeastNOW.

Therres said they also keep in mind a theme from a few years ago.

“The theme was ‘Got Wheels? Get a Helmet,'” Therres said. “So, anything that’s got wheels on it. If you’re talking a scooter, you’re talking rollerblades, you’re talking a skateboard, you’re talking a tricycle or a two-wheeled bicycle. Anything like that, if you’re going to riding that, you need to have a helmet on.”

When it comes to safety, wearing a helmet is one thing, but making sure it fits is a big part of it as well. Therres said using the 2V1 Rule is a great method.

“Really, all you have a look at is, when you put your helmet on, you shouldn’t have more than two fingers between your eyebrows and the top face of the helmet,” he said. “The straps, make a V beside your ear on both sides. And, when it’s snug down properly on both sides, you shouldn’t have any more than one finger between your chin and your chinstrap underneath.”

Therres added while helmets are the most important piece of bike safety, there are a few other ways to make sure everyone is safe on their bikes and other wheeled vehicles. Those include bike maintenance like tire pressure, and brake checks, as well as knowing the rules of the road, and hand signals.

mat.barrett@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @matbarrett6