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Epic Events Ltd - Press Release:
Phone - 021 983 766
Fax - 07 3765471
PO Box 4293,
HAMILTON
E-Mail - Nick Reader:
Or go to the - WEBSITE:
Motorcycle Safety Programme to Ruapehu:
Mount Ruapehu is the venue for the Bikes in Schools Motorcycle safety programme next Tuesday 13 May. OK so not quite on the mountain, but at Raetihi and Ohakune Primary schools. So far the safety programme has taken place in three schools; Te Uku School near Raglan, Kaharoa and Ngakuru school near Rotorua.
The message is that motorcycles are great fun to ride and very useful on the farm, but they need to be used in a safe way.
Recently motorcycles have been gaining some bad press through farm and sport related accidents and injuries. Motorcycle quads in particular appear to be involved in many of the accidents. Bikes in Schools is a trial programme aimed at educating young people to help prevent motorcycle accidents.
There are four main messages to be promoted. The correct sized motorcycles should be used by young people. I.e. No riders under 16 years to ride full sized farm quads. The necessary safety equipment must be worn by all motorcycle riders, especially helmets. Young people should ride in appropriate areas with Adult supervision at hand. Special care must be taken if doubling on quads.
The man behind the course, Nick Reader runs motorcycle events for a living and has also raced motorcycles most of his life. Nick aims to make the motorcycling experience a positive one for people who use motorcycles for work and for fun. Nick runs the Desert Storm trail ride in the Karioi forest in October and says that running the motorcycle safety programme is a way of putting something into the Ruapehu region.
The first part of the session is theory time in the classroom where children are asked about their motorcycling experiences which often involve accidents. Then it’s time for some practical riding demonstrations on the school field where safety gear and riding techniques are demonstrated. A quad is tipped on it’s side (on purpose) and the children are asked to right the quad so they can see how heavy the ATV’s really are.
Then after school, the children who actually ride motorcycles have their bikes brought into school for some practical coaching lessons. The skills learned are accelerating, braking and turning.
Josh Esera of Raetihi School and Bonnie Bramley of Ohakune Primary welcome the Bikes in Schools promotion and hopes the program will help prevent motorcycle injuries to the Students and in the broader community.
Support is currently being sought to take the Bikes in School concept nationwide.
