AR children at night on bikes | ExpatWoman.com
 

AR children at night on bikes

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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 28 November 2011 - 09:13

2 nights ago I was driving near le marche when 4 youths rode out straight in front of me - no helmets, no reflectors, no road sense, no manners. Someone will be knocked over if you don't check what your youngsters are up to at night. FYI JESS will not allow children to go to school on bikes in the new year if they don't have a helmet. And don't get me started on the number of parents who don't strap their children in! Statistics speak for themselves.

833
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EW GURU
Latest post on 28 November 2011 - 22:20
Oooh pepernoten! Yummy. Am making gevulde speculaas this week if that might tempt you. Email me dubaimuurtje at gmail dot com
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 28 November 2011 - 22:18
Yes, live in AR...kopje koffie sounds great, maybe I've got some leftover 'pepernoten' ;)
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EW GURU
Latest post on 28 November 2011 - 22:10
I think so too! Do you live in AR? We should meet up for a 'kopje koffie' some day :) I got fined too, once on my way to school in winter. Police were waiting and made a fortune that day.... After having to spend my pocket money on the fine I always made sure my lights were working. I do think that it is very important for parents to teach children about safety when cycling. Nearly bumped into two little girls on bicycles with training wheels who were in the middle of the road while their dad was standing on the side walk! This was around 19.00 so they were hardly visible.
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 28 November 2011 - 21:58
Muurtje, I think we're from the same country....no helmets, but definitely ALWAYS lights on bikes. Got fined once because the back light on my bike was broken and I was biking while getting dark... Police are telling kids nowadays to cycle at least two next to each other so they will be better visible for cars.
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EW MASTER
Latest post on 28 November 2011 - 21:15
Lights, reflects AND helmets are a must when out cycling. Maybe they should start cycling proficiency lessons and tests.
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EW GURU
Latest post on 28 November 2011 - 21:04
Rotetho I completely agree with you. Lights are more important then helmets. I've been riding a bike since I was 4 never wore a helmet but was told from a very early age to have lights on in the dark. I cycle through the Ranches myself and am amazed by the lack of curtiousness from cars. Been cut off so many times! Just want to add my pet hate of not using indicators!!! I often have to stop unnescessarily because people think you don't need to indicate to cyclists! :\: <em>edited by muurtje on 28/11/2011</em>
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 28 November 2011 - 20:58
Coming from a country where everyone rides a bike, even amidst busy traffic, going to school, going to work, etc. and no one wears a helmet, I think it would be wiser to have children educated about traffic rules (and probably most parents as well :\: ), and making sure they have a proper light on their bike so they will be visible to other traffic. The other day I nearly hit a child that raced from the pavement onto the road without any lights in the dark! Ahelmet prob. would have helped protect her head, but if I had hit her, the helmet wouldn't have protected the rest of her :( But then again, we live in a country where cyclists are not taken into account when considering infrastructure...TBH, I don't let my children take their bikes here to go anywhere, even if we live on the Ranches, whereas back home, my then 8yr old DS went to school on his bike, together with his big brother and a group of friends (albeit in a small village), as everyone takes account of cyclists. That's my main worry here, that people just don't pay attention to cyclists. <em>edited by Rotetho on 28/11/2011</em>
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EW MASTER
Latest post on 28 November 2011 - 14:59
I'm pleased that JESS is going to enforce a helmet policy. About half the JESS teenagers I see on my morning walk in the Ranches aren't wearing a helmet. There's a few that have their helmet swinging from their handlebars, it's not going to do them much good there. I wish schools would do a graphic presentation to children on the dangers of not wearing a helmet. I've not been on a bike without one since seeing 'The Helmet Lady' give a talk at my school when I was 11. Her son was left brain damaged after being knocked off his bike without a helmet. It was grim. A couple of children fainted and one vomited but we all wore our helmets afterwards...
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EW MASTER
Latest post on 28 November 2011 - 14:54
The helmet rule came in a while ago - they're just going to try to enforce it from January !! what are you talking about? This rule came in 1st Jan 2010 and has been and is enforced by the police that'll be why most kids i see riding bikes aren't wearing them then lol and by "they" i mean the school..
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 28 November 2011 - 14:09
At this rate some residents will no doubt start posting for a complete ban of bikes and children in AR based on them paying their community fees!
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EW EXPERT
Latest post on 28 November 2011 - 13:52
The helmet rule came in a while ago - they're just going to try to enforce it from January !! what are you talking about? This rule came in 1st Jan 2010 and has been and is enforced by the police
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EW MASTER
Latest post on 28 November 2011 - 13:30
i believe the crackdown is in response to a teacher recently being knocked off his bike on the motor city roundabout.
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EW EXPERT
Latest post on 28 November 2011 - 12:57
It's very frightening how little road sense some cyclists. I dislike driving at night because cyclists appear out of nowhere into the middle of the road and pay no heed to traffic. Some parents don't have much more sense than the children as they often ride 2 abreast - basic rule is single file on bikes.
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EW EXPERT
Latest post on 28 November 2011 - 12:32
am sure that when one of the youths are knocked down and injured it will be the security guards fault..... would never be a) the child or b) the parents fault!!!!
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EW MASTER
Latest post on 28 November 2011 - 12:24
The helmet rule came in a while ago - they're just going to try to enforce it from January !!
 
 

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