BEACONSFIELD – In an effort to promote cycling as fun and sustainble way of getting around, the city of Beaconsfield teamed up with Montreal police (SPVM) for the first ever Bike Safety Day.
For Jean-Pierre Lévis, a socio-community officer with the SPVM, the event was about educating as many people as possible in highway and bicycle safety.
“Our No. 1 concern is prevention through education,” Lévis said.
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The event was held Saturday at Windermere Park and organized around four different stations participants went through.
“Because it’s bicycle safety, the first station is the mechanical check, “said Michèle Janis, Beaconsfield’s director of Culture and Lesiure. “We check the ABCs. Air, brake and chains.”
After each bike was fine-tuned, helmets were checked by experts to ensure the right fit.
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Next, participants tested their riding skills while navigating around obstacles on a closed course.
The exercise wasn’t only about technical skills though.
“The police are making sure the kids know their proper hand signals when they stop and when they turn,” Janis said.
The final station sent the cyclists out the gates of Windermere Park and on a 2-kilometre ride through neighbourhood streets.
According to Janis, Bike Safety Day could turn into an annual event.
“Hopefully we can do it again next year because so far, it’s a huge success.”
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