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About Siletz news / (Siletz, OR) 199?-current | View Entire Issue (July 1, 1998)
Sdefy TîetvA Community Health Page 5 BY CATHY RASMUSSEN, RN Community Health Director ’T ’he start of summer brings -L opportunities for fun outdoor activities—and, unfortunately, also opportunities for injury. This might be a good time to remind your active kids about the importance of bicycle safety. Here are some points to stress: child practice the entry, looking left, looking right and looking left again. Make sure that they understand that because they see a car does not mean the driver sees them! 2. Obey stop signs. Nearly a third of the car-bike crashes with a young child occur when a child rides through a stop sign or red light without yielding to crossing traffic. Kids must learn to stop, look ieft, look right, then look left again at all stop signs, stop lights and intersections before crossing. Teach the basics about stop signs and stop lights, then practice crossing intersections safely. Explain that when riding in a group, each bicyclist must stop and make sure it is clear before crossing, (see Rule 4) Teach young children to walk their bikes 1. Never ride out into streets without stopping first. Nearly a third of car-bike crashes involving a young child occur when a child rides a bicycle down a driveway^ or from a sidewalk into the street and in front of a car. Kids must learn to stop, look left, look right, look left again and listen to be sure no Cars are coming before entering a street. Look left that second time because cars coming from the left are on the child's side of the street and are closer. Use your driveway or sidewalk to demonstrate this w ay to enter a street. H av e the « to ü Early Detection Saves Lives I With our m any roles (wives, mothers, daughters and working women), it's easy to put our own health needs last. ¿a- Cherish and safeguard the g ift o f health with annual exams over age 40. ■ 1 Í II 1 Í 3 ww 3 -’ ml You may qualify for a free pap test and mammogram through the Oregon Breast and Cervical Cancer (BCC) Program. * I 1 i 1i » 3 «8 Gift certificate incentives available. For more information call: SANDRA HAHN, RN, Nurse E d u ca to r Siletz Community Health Clinic (800) 648-0449 (541)444-1030 M a k e S e lf-C a re A P r i o r i t y ! 1 i through busy intersections. Remind them that it is the law to obey traffic signals even when no one appears to be coming. Explain one-way streets to them too. 3. Check behind before turning, swerving, or changing lanes. Nearly , a third of the car-bike crashes involving children occur when a child turns suddenly into the path of faster moving traffic. Kids must learn to, look behind them, signal and look behind again before swerv ing, turning or changing lanes. The best place to practice thus is in a quiet parking lot or playground. Stand behind them while they ride along a straight painted line. Hold up numbered cards and have them practice looking back over their shoulder and telling you the number on the card - without swerving off the painted line. Children should not be allowed to ride their bikes on the street alone until they have mastered this skill. 4. Never blindly follow other riders. Other Important Safety Rules • ▼ Signal your intention to turn or stop. ▼ Ride single file on the right side of the street with traffic. ▼ Always keep a hand on the handlebars. ▼ Be alert for car doors opening. ▼ Be aware of vehicles exiting driveways« ▼ Never assume drivers see you. ▼ Avoid sewer grates. Always cross train tracks straight on. ▼ Avoid potholes, puddles, sand, & glass. ▼ Do not hold onto another moving vehicle while riding. ’ Avoid riding at night without reflective gear. Most importantly... Never ride a bike without a helmetl Every year over 800 people die in the U.S'. from bicycle crashes. Most of them die from head injuries. Many more have lifelong learning disabilities and person ality changes caused by brain damage. Hospital emergency room studies show that a helmet «can. prevent that about 85% o f head injuries! Even on your.filock, on the sidewalk or on a bike trail, a helmet can save your child's life. Based on a pamphlet by the Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute found at: http:/ / www.helmets.org Many fatalities occur when the first rider violates one of the three rules above and the second one just blindly follows. When riding in groups, running stop signs or red lights, riding out of driveways or zipping across lanes all seem natural to children because they are more focused on Bicycle Helmets ore available FREE to following the first rider Siletz Tribal youth ages 3-18. than oti the traffic or the rules. This will not be an Contact Community Health Department easy lesson to absorb! staff in your local area. CONTRACT HEALTH SERVICES TELEPHONE NUMBERS: 1-800-628-5720 or 541-444-1236 Please call the CHS office directly. The regular working hours for the CHS office are 8:00 A.M. to 4:30 P.M., Monday through Friday, except for Tuesday afternoons the office is closed for meetings. The office is also closed during lunch hour from 12-1 P.M.; this will change when the department is fully staffed. CHS does not use voice mail to preauthorize appointments. If you did not get a confirmation number/ you have not authorized your appointment. Please call during regular working hburs to our direct numbers. Please do not use the clinic or administration phone numbers.
