Safe Cycling Skills - A statistical investigation
Question: Are Karoro School senior students safe cyclists on the roads?
Recently Room One students participated in a safe cycling skills programme facilitated by the
New Zealand Police. Students learned about the correct way to wear their bicycle helmet.
Helmets need to be tightened.
In the classroom we learnt how to check our bikes. First we did the N check,
the N check is where you check from your tyre to your set and the handlebars, then to the other tyre.
Secondly, we checked a helmet, we made sure the helmet had no cracks in it and if it fitted.
Thirdly we started talking and explaining about the road rules so that we know for when we
do go on the road.
The second session involved skills based on the court. The next day we brought our bikes
and our helmets to school and after morning tea we went outside got our bikes and did the N check.
We started from the front tyre and checked if it was on properly and if it was pumped up properly
then we move on to the handle bars to see if they were on tight and it wasn’t moving when you got on
your bike, and to see if the breaks worked. After the handle bars we checked if the seat was in the
right place for the riders and if the seat had its reflector. After that we went to the pedals to see if both
of the reflectors were in the right place and if there were any. Finally the last bit we checked was the
back tyre, we checked if the tyre was on properly and to see if the spokes were tight enough,
and we had to make sure that the gears were changing clearly.
Constable put some chain oil on some of the chains that were rusty.
Constable Jos made a course that we had to do, the first course was just zig-zagging around cones,
then after morning tea Constable Jos made two seesaws and a ladder we had to go over, it was really fun.
Following the court session students participated in a road circuit skills session.
Students had to get their bikes and helmets, and Constable Jos gave us each a orange jacket
with a number on it. We had adults on each corner checking that we did our hand signals
and if we looked back for cars. We had two goes because the first time most of us did not know
the course. The second time around was a lot better because everybody knew where they were going.
We had to put our arm out in whatever direction we were going and we had to look back when we were
coming to a to a corner to make sure there was no cars coming or turning in the same direction as you.
There were people placed around the circuit and marks were given for using the following skills:
This graph shows that I need to improve on
This graph shows that I am good at
Approx 1 metre from kerb
Scanning for hazards
My marks were:
Approx 1 metre
from kerb
|
Scanning
for hazards
|
Checking
parked cars
|
Look behind
before hand
signals
|
Correct
hand signal
|
Look behind
after hand
signals
|
% Average
Across Skills
|
5/5
|
2/2
|
3/4
|
4/6
|
5/6
|
1/6
|
65.5%
|
One of the collated graphs showed these results. I think that this shows that the second time was
better because everybody was more confident about the course and new were they where going.
I think we improved more on the look behind after signal. 
My recommendation is that we do this every year but we have one quick course to see who is
more better with the six marks and put them into two separate groups.
The higher group will have a bigger course and more harder than the lower group.
And still talk about the road rules and how to check your bike as well as the course on the court.
