Often at the Westlock News, we’re put in a position where we have to report on a story that is by all measures a tragedy. While there is sometimes the (mistaken) impression that this is our bread and butter, we’re never happy to run stories like the one about the collision on Page 1 of this issue.
An incident like the one that happened last week, where a young cyclist was struck by a vehicle and taken to hospital, affects everybody involved — from the boy and his family to the driver of the vehicle to the emergency services workers involved, and even the reporters who have to write the story.
It is, however, our responsibility to report on the things that are important to our readers. For better or for worse, this story needed to be told because there is a valuable lesson here for all of us.
It’s all too common to see bicyclists riding on sidewalks, riding down the wrong side of the road, cutting in front of traffic and otherwise making a hazard of themselves. This is not to say all cyclists behave this way, but most motorists would be lying to you if they said they never had a close call with seemingly oblivious cyclist. Likewise, any cyclist will tell you that often motor vehicles don’t seem to be aware that cyclists on the road are actually bound by the same rules and responsibilities as any motorist. Some motorists seem to think that sharing the road is just a one-way street.
Every year we’re given the same message as the snow melts and more people get out on our streets: Stay safe, share the road, watch out. No matter how you put it, it comes down to all of us making choices in the best interest of our community.
In the case of the incident last week, it is fortunate that the boy was wearing his helmet. While we don’t know the exact nature of his injuries, it is a fact that helmets save lives and as Staff Sgt. Brian Clayton rightly pointed out, it is the law that all youth in Alberta wear helmets while riding a bicycle.
Nonetheless, it’s not an uncommon occurrence to see both kids and adults riding their bikes around town without a helmet, or even riding on the highway without a helmet.
Perhaps those people don’t think that what they have between their ears is worth protecting.
