Cycle safe: Bike safety event educates local youth about proper bike precautions

GRUNDY CENTER – Last Thursday, throngs of kids sporting helmets and knee pads flocked to the Landmark Bistro on their bikes for the first ever “Kids Bike Night” event.
There, they had the chance to participate in all manor of fun – from bike decorating, to coloring, to helmet fittings and more.
Grundy County Public Health educator Katie Thornton-Lang was there to provide safety tips to local kids and their parents.
“Helmets are the most important and effective way to keep safe on a bike,” Thornton-Lang says. “But, they’re also things we don’t always think of.”
Thornton-Lang, who helps conduct Bike Safety Rodeos around the county each year, says she is always surprised at the number of kids who show up without helmets.
“Sometimes we think if we’re just going a short distance, or if we’re not going very fast, we don’t need a helmet,” she said. “But that’s not the case.”
Thornton-Lang says a bike accident can happen anywhere, anytime, and the most important way to prevent serious injuries is to wear a helmet at all times, and to make sure the helmet fits properly.
For the full story, including bike safety tips, see this week's Grundy Register.