Lids for Kids Brings Fun, Bike Safety to Berkley

Members of the Berkley Public Safety Department handed out bike helmets, offered safety tips and provided fun activities for families during the annual Lids for Kids event Saturday in Berkley.

The department helps fund the volunteer-driven event – which also included a rock-climbing wall, a dunk tank and a bicycle obstacle course – through its annual golf outing.

Michigan Secretary of State Ruth Johnson offers the following additional bike safety advice.

Tips for bicyclists

• Always ride WITH other traffic.
• Obey the rules of the road as any other vehicle operator, including all traffic signs, lane markings and signals, and use hand signals to indicate turns, slowing or stopping.
• Wear bicycle helmets and reflective clothing.
• Stay as far to the right as practical when riding in traffic lanes.
• (Do) not ride more than two abreast in a single lane, so long as it does not interfere with the normal flow of vehicular traffic.
• Avoid entering the roadway without first stopping to look for vehicles.
• Ride predictably and defensively, and do not ride while drunk or distracted.
• Always yield to pedestrians.
• Have a white front headlight and a red rear reflector if riding after dark or in low light conditions.

Tips for drivers

• Look out for and always yield the right-of-way to people walking, jogging, biking, etc.
• Pull out slowly from driveways and parking areas while watching for vulnerable road users, including children and others on the sidewalk or nearby pathways.
• Stop fully before turning at driveways and intersections to make sure you do not cut off pedestrians or approaching bicyclists with right of way.
• Never turn right immediately after passing a cyclist – wait until the cyclist has completed the trip through the intersection.
• Do not pass vehicles stopped at crosswalks, as they may be allowing a pedestrian to cross the street.
• Yield to anyone crossing the street when turning left on a green light.
• Watch for surprising changes in direction, especially by children or cyclists avoiding road hazards.
• When parallel parked, check for approaching cyclists before opening your door.
• Leave sufficient space when passing vulnerable road users and take every possible precaution to avoid collision.

The city of Berkley also offers a suggested pathway for biking and the Huntington Woods Public Safety Department will provide residents with free reflective Velcro arm bands, according to the city's website.