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SALT LAKE CITY — As summer approaches and more children are outside playing, Salt Lake City police are trying to make sure they stay safe.
"I see a lot of bicycles not following the law even though they need to be following the law," said Salt Lake City police Sgt. Carlos Valencia.
Valencia was one of several officers participating in the "Bike Safety Rodeo" at the Rose Park Community Festival Saturday afternoon. The event aims to teach kids the rules of the road.
"This will give them a little introduction on how to obey the law," Valencia said.
The children strap on a helmet, hop on a bike, and navigate a course made up of road cones, stop signs and arrows painted on the pavement. The officers stressed the importance of stopping at stop signs and railroad crossings. Valencia has seen what it looks like when a larger vehicle hits a bike.
"Some people may think ‘it's just from point A to point B, we can just go ahead and run the red light, nothing’s going to happen if it's clear,’” Valencia said. “But you'll never know if there's going to be a car coming up to you and once you realize the car, you're going to be flying 30 or 40 feet.”
Valencia said the officers also hope the children see them in a more positive light through events like this.
"That's important because it teaches them that police officers are friendly, we're just there for your safety. We care about you even though we don't know you," he said.
Salt Lake City police put on the Bike Safety Rodeo at several community events throughout the summer. For more information on these events, visit www.slcpd.com/community-engagement/.
