[18 OCT 00]  WARWICKSHIRE CONSTABULARY NEWS
Cyclists Urged To Take Care In The Dark

Cyclists in Warwickshire are being issued with a safety checklist before the clocks go back next week, and special safety courses are being held for children in Nuneaton and Bedworth.

With afternoons to become darker, police are anxious that people could be putting themselves at risk by not taking the necessary precautions.

PC Seamus Faulkner of the Community Safety Unit in Nuneaton said:

“We want all cyclists, whatever their age, to be safe this winter.

“Dozens of people get injured every year on bikes across Warwickshire – some seriously – and we want to ensure that people are as safe as they can be when they get on two wheels particularly when the nights are darker.”

He has issued a “Biker’s Dozen” of tips for cycle safety:

• Take a training course

• Wear light-coloured or reflective clothing and a cycling helmet. Make sure your lights work.

• Only young children should ride on pavements

• Keep games and stunts off the roads

• Only one person should ride on a bike

• Regularly give your bike an MOT

• Look all around before joining the road

• Look all around and signal before making any turn

• Never ride more than two abreast

• Always ride in single file on busy roads

• Look out for danger

• If in doubt, get off and walk

PC Faulkner added that people should also take care of their bicycles and make sure that they are secure if they are left unattended.

He said:

“Last year we had 335 bikes stolen form the Nuneaton and Bedworth area alone – a large proportion of those were unlocked and left unattended.

“Some criminals are getting rich at the expense of people who think their bike is safe to be left for a few minutes.

“We want to make their job harder and save cyclists a lot of unnecessary trouble.

“Our advice is always lock up your bike, no matter how quickly you will be returning, and get it security marked so if it is lost or stolen it can be returned to you if found.”

Next week’s courses area being run at Manor Park Community School from 23 to 26 October.

Children aged seven to nine can go on a beginners course from 9.30am to 10.30am each day. The cost is £10 for the four-day course.

At 11am until 1pm each day is the Cycle Awareness Course, which has replaced the old Cycling Proficiency Test, for children aged ten or over, and costs £15.