Free Helmets Boost Bike Safety Effort In Nashua

Do you remember your hand signals? Most of us were taught at some point how to signal traffic while riding a bike, but many never learned the proper way to signal to cars if you were heading left, stopping or making a right turn.

Nashua kids, kindergarten through sixth grade, were given a short lesson at the end of the school year on the proper signals after they received a free helmet. Valley County Sheriff Glen Meier, Deputy Alex Esteves and Sherri Turner handed out the free helmets to 67 children. They were received with smiles and a few shy thank-yous.

Thanks to donations from Shopko and FMDH, $1,600 was used to purchase the helmets and another 20 percent discount on the purchase was given from Shopko. Each helmet cost around $22. While the helmets could help save lives, Meier also briefed the children on different laws regarding bicycles. With the question of who in the audience had a bicycle, the majority raised their hands.

The children learned that bikes actually don't belong on the sidewalks, and pedestrians have the right of way. They also learned that not having a helmet could keep them safe in rural communities and hand signals can help tell drivers where their bikes might be heading.

Due to rainy weather bicycles weren't inspected or taken through an outside course. Cones lined a hallway and the kids practiced their hand signals while walking with Meier or Esteves.

Meier explained that they've done these trainings in the past and for other schools. The last time they visited with the kids in Nashua was in 2006.