www.insidehalton.com | OAKVILLE BEAVER | Friday, June 23, 2017 | 10 Promoting cycling safety in Hatton Region The Holton Regional Police Service answers your questions as they relate to traffic, crime and community policing. by Staff Sgt Craig Platt HALTON REGIONAL POLICE SERVICE* · Here are the questions recently submitted to Halton Regional Police: ··· QUESTION: When an emergency response ve hicle with flashing lights is travelling in the oppo site direction to me, do I still pull over to the right until the emergency vehicle passes? What if there is a median between the opposing lanes of traffic? What if there is no median, but it' s a road that has two or three lanes in each direction? For example, on Upper Middle Road or on Dundas Street, if I am travelling westbound and I en counter an emergency response vehicle travelling eastbound, some westbound cars pull over, but some do not, and I never know what I' m supposed to do. What is the correct thing to do? ANSWER: When an emergency response ve hicle approaches with its emergency equipment activated, from any direction, time is of the essence; every second it takes for that emergency vehicle to pass could be the difference between life and death. Drivers must prepare to clear the way and safely bring their vehicle to a stop in accordance with the Highway Traffic Act. It' s the law. How you clear the way depends on the type of road on which you are trav elling. On a multi-lane highway slow down, signal and move to the right, Staff Sgt. Craig Platt but do not move onto the shoulder -- emergency vehicles will use the shoulder for travel if necessary When on a one-way road or divided highway having more than two lanes of traffic (and an emer gency vehicle is travelling in the same direction), move to the closest curb or edge of the roadway. Watch for other emergency vehicles that may be responding to the same call. Check to make sure the way is clear and signal before merging back into traffic. ··· QUESTION: I have noticed that many schoolaged kids (and even younger) in my neighbour hood are not wearing helmets when they ride their ask a bikes (even with their parents right there beside them). This seems to have gotten worse over the past couple of years. Helmets save lives and it is the law for children to wear them. I wonder if there is any kind of opportunity for Halton police to rein force the importance of basic bicycle safety in the schools or on social media? ensuring that a helmet is worn. A properly fitted and correctly worn bike helmet can cut the risk of serious head injury by up to 80 per cent. Halton Regional Police Service is committed to promoting bicycle safety through a variety of com munity initiatives. sThese include our Children' s Safety Village (a miniature town in which children can learn and practice bike safety), annual Lids 4 Kids bicycle safety rodeos (providing children an opportunity to learn the rules of the road and improve their bike handling skills) and this month' s Safe Cycling Open House held at the Mattamy National Cycling Centre. Our service shares your concern for the welfare of cyclists, regardless of age. We recommend that all cyclists wear a CSA-approved helmet and em brace safe cycling practices. ··· Have a question for police? Click on the Ask a Cop link on the top right-hand side of the InsideHalton homepage to submit a question for this feature, which is published monthly in the Oakville ANSWER: Any activity on the road carries with it some risk. These risks are greater in children, due to their smaller size, cognitive abilities and natural risk-taking behaviours. Ontario law mandates that all cyclists under the age of 18 wear a helmet. For children under the age of 16, their parent/guardian is responsible for Beaver, Burlington Post, Milton Canadian Champion, and online. Visit www.insidehalton.com and click on the Ask a Cop link on the top right-hand side of the homepage to submit a questionfor this monthly feature. Let Your Natural Beauty ? Shine Through y A t A ny A g e N O N -S U R G IG A L O F F E R S L a s e r S kin R e ju v e n a tio n A c n e T re a tm e n t Laser H a ir R em oval P h o to fa c ia l Skin R es u rfa c in g In je c ta b le s : B o to x F ille rs /J u v e d e rm S k in H e a lth M a n a g e m e n t : Facial P eels Latisse C o m p re h e n s iv e Skin C are A n a ly sis S c le ro th e ro p y Z O Skin H e a lth M e d ic a l G ra d e Facials N o n -S u r g ic a l B o d y C o n to u r in g V a n q u ish Exilis AyA KITCHENS OF OAKVILLE 1195 NORTH SERVICE ROAD WEST S C h D r D o u g la s G race B.SC. M.D. F.R.C.S.C Plastic, Reconstructive, & Laser Surgeon G R A C E C L IN IC PLASTIC, RECONSTRUCTIVE &. LASER SURGERY KITCHENS O F O A K V IL L E 289 768-2683 | 200-481 JOHN ST., BURLINGTON jWWW.GRACECLINIC.GA Vo t e d #1 Fa c i a l and Co s m e t i c Pl a s t ic Su r g e o n in Oa k v il l e , Bu r l i n g t o n and Ha m i l t o n A Y A O A K V IL L E .C O M