Police give youngsters pedal power

Tuesday 24 March 2015

The wheels are in motion to help your kids ride their bikes more safely on the Island’s roads.

The police are running loads of cycle proficiency workshops over the Easter holidays to teach youngsters aged ten and over how to pedal confidently around danger.

The Easter Bikeability course gets going next Monday 30 March at Les Quennevais Sports Centre and is open to children getting on their bike for the first time and those who haven’t been out on theirs for a while.

They’ll learn basic off road training and how to tackle busy town traffic on the course that also covers road positioning, dealing with basic road junctions, signalling and bike safety checks.

Road Safety Officer Philip Bake said: "Cycle safety is high on our list of priorities and we don't want to see any more people injured on our roads. We need to educate everyone on how to stay safe on the road and where better to start than with the road users of the future."

Last year the new law came in making it compulsory for all children under the age of 14 to wear a helmet when out on their bikes and the youngsters will be taught how to make sure theirs fits properly.

The course is running in the mornings and afternoons of Monday 30 March, Tuesday 31 March, Wednesday 1 April, Thursday 2 April and Tuesday 7 April from 9 am until 10.30 am and from 1.30 pm until 3 pm at Les Quennevais Sports Centre. The course heads out East on Wednesday 8 April and is running in Gorey from 9 am until 10.30 am and from 1.30 pm until 3 pm.

You can book a place for your trainee cyclist by contacting Philp Blake on 612222 or emailing him at p.blake@jersey.pnn.police.uk

Cyclists must be able to ride their bike without too much wobbling and will need to bring along a bike fit for the road and their own helmet.