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Herriman Journal

Herriman promotes road safety awareness with Pedal-Palooza

May 29, 2022 01:27PM ● By Justin Adams

By Justin Adams | [email protected]

Herriman City held its annual Pedal-Palooza event last month on May 14. Hundreds of residents came out to enjoy a beautiful Saturday morning full of bicycling, helmet giveaways and even a free bike raffle.

The timing of the safety-focused event was appropriate, as it followed a week in which multiple pedestrians lost their lives on Utah roads.

So far this year, there have been 28 fatal auto-pedestrian accidents in the state of Utah. Three of them occurred within an hour of each other on May 3. Many of the accidents involved intoxicated or reckless drivers.

While it’s often the drivers at fault, there are things pedestrians and bikers can do to protect themselves, according to Herriman Police Sergeant Greg Shaver.

“Pedestrians need to understand that their life is in motorists’ hands, so they need to be cautious, be defensive and not trust anyone who’s operating a car,” he told the Herriman Journal.

During the Pedal-Palooza event, Shaver and other Herriman police officers operated a bicycle obstacle course, designed to educate young bikers about basic rules of the road. Riders learned about stop signs and yield signs, how to avoid obstacles and what to do when approaching a construction zone or a railroad crossing.

Shaver said the exercise not only helps young people be safe on their bikes, but also hopefully instills good safety habits which they will carry with them as future vehicle operators. 

“It instills correct behavior, so when they’re older they understand what those rules are,” he said.

Shaver said his advice for pedestrians, bikers and motorists alike boils down to one thing: being alert. Just as drivers shouldn’t be distracted by their phones, pedestrians shouldn’t cross roads with loud music playing in their headphones, which can drown out the noise of a honking car.

“Just pay attention. Try to make eye contact; you see them and they see you so it’s safe to cross,” he said.

 

 

NeuroHealth

 

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