VILLAS – The Rotary Club of Lower Township and Lower Township Police Department (LTPD) teamed up to hold the first annual Rotary Junior Bike Rodeo, July 22, at the Clem Mulligan Sports Complex.
About a dozen Rotary Club members attended armed with screwdrivers and wrenches to tighten up any loose parts on bikes, and two LTPD officers were present to tighten up children’s bike-riding skills.
“Some people don’t realize you are supposed to ride with the flow of traffic,” said Patrolman Michael Nuscis, pointing out a rule many adults have forgotten or choose not to follow.
Nuscis and Patrolman Lou Bartleson, who showed up while off duty to help with the program, said the July 22 event was a revival of a previous event that had been shut down due to concerns over liability. However, the matter was resolved simply by informing the insurance carrier they were holding a community event.
Nuscis said the LTPD has been presenting safety programs in the schools, in part, because they witness unsafe behavior every day.
“We want to see safety grow,” he said.
Bartleson said at night, they see children, and even adults, riding without headlights, taillights, or even reflectors.
“You have to have a light and an audible (device),” Nuscis said.
Audible devices include bells and horns. Bartleson, who was riding his own bicycle, showed a small bell mounted on his handlebars, along with two small LED lights that he said emit a surprising amount of light.
Bartleson said they are more concerned about bike safety these days with the proliferation of electric bicycles, which he feels are essentially an electric moped. All mopeds are required to follow the rules of the road, the same as an automobile. He said he has seen young people riding electric bikes on the left side of the road, against traffic.
“There have been some serious motor vehicle accidents, as a result,” Bartleson said. “We had a near fatality when someone hit the side of a car.”
Bartleson said the LTPD is concerned about other reckless behavior on bicycles, particularly with so-called “wheelie bikes.” Bartleson said the wheelie bikes are a larger version of a BMX bike, and the goal of many riders is to do a “12 o’clock wheelie,” which is what they call it when the bike’s front tire is raised to the 12 o’clock position.
Another dangerous trend is swerving, which is making turns while in the wheelie position by using balance and shifting your hips. Bartleson said all this can be fun for the bike rider, but it only takes one distracted driver to create a fatality.
Nuscis said the bike safety program is part of an overall effort to promote safety among children, including bus and Halloween safety.
“This is one of the things that keep the job normal,” Nuscis said.
Richard Macaluso, president of the Rotary Club of Lower Township, described the Rotary Junior Bike Rodeo as a cooperative effort with the LTPD to promote bike safety.
“We wanted to help local kids understand bike safety,” he said.
The police department set up a bicycle course with cones on the street hockey court to teach children agility and to follow a designated course. The Rotary was also distributing kids’ bike helmets that were donated by Walmart. Macaluso said Walmart donated over 50 helmets for them to give away. He said the Rotary Club of Lower Township would like to make this an annual event.
Contact the author, Christopher South, at csouth@cmcherald.com or 609-886-8600, ext. 128.
