The Martensville Fire Department (MFD) will once again be holding their Bike Helmet Safety Program throughout the summer.
Members of the MFD will be out in the community in the fire trucks throughout the week and when a child is spotted wearing a helmet correctly while on something with wheels such as a bicycle, skateboard, e-bike, scooter, etc., they will hand out a coupon for the child to get a cold treat from a local business.
In addition to the cold treat ticket, children will also earn an entry into a draw to win a bicycle or helmet, which will be donated by Martensville Canadian Tire. The draw will be made at the end of summer. Members of the MFD will be in their uniforms when they are passing out coupons.
Typically, the Bike Helmet Safety Program begins a little sooner in the summer season; however organizer Captain Levi Schutz of the MFD stated that despite some delays, the MFD is excited to be out and about within the community.
Schutz, who is almost 30-years-old, remembers the MFD doing this program when he was a kid himself and has now been organizing the program for the past six years to help keep that community spirit alive in Martensville.
“I used to love going out on bike rides with my helmet on and seeing the local fire department handing out treats. It was something that was really special to me and it made my day. Now that I get to be on the other side of it and be that positive figure in the community, it means so much to me. To be able to give back and now be the one that makes those kids days special means a lot,” Schutz said.
This program highlights helmet safety; however, Schutz noted that overall bicycle (or whatever you are using) safety is important in general, especially with the popularity of e-bikes, which are sometimes moving faster than some of the cars on the roadways.
“We have responded to a number of vehicle vs. bike accidents in the past couple of years and if you don’t have that helmet on, you could be looking at some serious injuries. Make sure you are looking both ways when crossing, wearing that helmet correctly and walking your bike across intersections. We want everyone to get home safe.”
According to caa.ca, an average of 74 Canadians die in cycling collisions each year and 73% of those incidents involved a collision with a motor vehicle.
The MFD would like to thank Martensville Canadian Tire, Martensville A&W and the Martensville Co-op for supporting this program.
