VENTURA : Program Touts Bike Safety for Students

Riding a bicycle against the flow of traffic is the leading cause of accidents involving children, and all riders should wear a specially made helmet--no matter how old they are.

That’s the message being put out to more than 10,000 first- through seventh-graders by Ventura officials as they conduct their annual Bicycle Safety Program at area schools.

“We have about 100 accidents every year and most are caused by riding incorrectly,” said program organizer Margaret Stallings, who estimated that half of all school-age children in Ventura ride bikes every day.

The bicycle program, designed to increase awareness of road risks, is also offering children free bike inspections to make sure things such as reflectors and tires are being properly maintained.

“Sometimes kids don’t understand that their brakes are wearing thin and they need to get them repaired,” Stallings said.

But the main emphasis of the program is to teach children how to navigate some of the trouble spots along the city’s roads.

A tendency to ride against traffic is strong among children because they feel that they can see better, but motorists usually don’t expect traffic in the wrong direction--and don’t see bike riders until it is too late.

“You’re looking in your rearview mirror when you make a turn,” Stallings said.

To enhance bike riding skills, the city is holding agility competitions at 15 schools. The children who score the highest in a slalom and five other tests will compete Nov. 9 in a citywide “rodeo” at Buena High School.

Included in the program will be an essay-writing contest on the subject of safety.

Stallings said that there are 10 areas in Ventura where accidents tend to occur, but that riders should always wear a lightweight helmet.

“The most severe injuries are to the head,” Stallings said.

Daniel Gutierrez, a 10-year-old at Will Rogers Elementary School, said Thursday that riding around his home near the bustle of Ventura Avenue can be “scary.”

“I wish they had more bike lanes,” Daniel said.

Ventura Avenue near Main Street and Victoria Avenue near Telegraph Road are two of the most notorious intersections for bikers, Stallings said.

The three-week-long Bicycle Safety Program is funded by a $10,000 grant derived from gasoline taxes, Stallings said.