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Home My WebLink AboutThe Citizen, 1994-04-20, Page 17THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 20, 1994. PAGE 17. EARING Up ’94 Minimize vulnerability to crime when travelling You are probably more vulnerable to robbery or even assault while you are travelling away from home than you'd like to think. You can, however, substantially reduce your chances of becoming a crime victim while travelling by taking a few sensible precautions, such as those described below. • Before starting a trip, estimate your expenses and purchases and carry sufficient travellers' checks. Never carry large amounts of cash. Most stores, restaurants and motels take travellers checks. If you lost your travellers' checks they can be replaced. Cash can not. Record travellers' check numbers and keep them in a safe place. • Carry credit cards. Record their numbers and leave the record in a safe place, apart from your luggage and/or with someone you can contact easily. You will need these numbers to report loss or theft, and to have the cards replaced. • Leave unnecessary valuable items at home. Make sure your suitcases are permanently identified with your name and address, and that they have locking devices. Check your homeowner's insurance to determine what coverage it provides while you are travelling or staying in a hotel or motel. • If you are travelling by automobile, empty the trunk of unnecessary items. Never leave anything valuable in the car unless it is stored in the locked trunk or covered storage well. If you turn your car over to a parking attendant or service station, leave only the ignition key, never the trunk key or house keys. Make sure your house keys don't have your name or address on them. • Portable citizen band radios should be removed from the passenger compartment and put in the locked trunk whenever you stay Bike helmets reduce risks Bike injuries kill more than 100 Canadians every year. At least 75 per cent of bike-related deaths result from head injuries. Of these, a third are children under 15. In fact, bike mishaps are the leading cause of a childhood head injury in Canada. Yet even though we know that wearing a bike helmet can reduce the risk of serious head injury by up to 85 percent, helmet usage rates for children in many communities are as low-as five - ten per cent. The Canadian Bike Helmet Coalition (CBHC) recognizes that parents, teachers, police and other leaders in the community play an important role in encouraging children to wear helmets. The Coalition's program, while targeted primarily at children, also seeks to inform and mobilize key community leaders to take action in their own neighbourhoods. The Coalition builds on the experience of a number of highly successful community intervention programs implemented across the country in recent years. It also aims to make this experience as readily available as possible to Canadian communities. If the CBHC meets its target, 2,000 community campaigns will be organized across Canada in the Spring and Summer of 1994. The objective is to raise the helmet use rate to at least 25 per cent for children in the targeted neighbourhoods. By the following year, the CBHC hopes the project will be self-sufficient, with organizers using campaign materials already available in the community. The CBHC's approach is to provide community organizers with a basic framework for action and let let them decide what will work Word to the wise for bikers A word to the wise: Do-it-your- self spring motorcycle maintenance can cause more headaches than it cures. According to the Motorcycle Mechanics Institute, today s sophis ticated motorcycle technology has made some repairs too difficult and even too dangerous for garage- trained mechanics to handle. “Il is no longer feasible for the average motorcycle owner to per form many service procedures safe ly,’’ said David Koshollck. director of the Institute’s Harley-Davidson training programs. “Improper main tenance of modern braking sys tems, for example, can cause brake Continued from page 17 best in their own neighbourhoods. To this end, the Coalition's plans include a video to be aired on community cable TV stations across Canada and a resource kit including a shorter video, community project guide, resource order form and fact sheets to be distributed by the CBHC national office and regional coalition members. The CBHC will evaluate the campaign's success by measuring the number of local projects initiated nationwide, the number of helmets purchased in bulk and the percentage of children wearing helmets following implementation of the program. The CBHC project was funded by Health Canada under its Health Promotion Contribution Program "Brighter Futures". The CBHC's budget for its community bike helmet program is approximately $180,000 which is less than the cost to treat and rehabilitate just one seriously head-injured patient. This project encourages community participation by removing initial obstacles to helmet use. It also capitalizes on the positive benefits of social and peer pressure. Most importantly, it saves lives, heartache and health care dollars. If you are interested in obtaining a resource kit to initiate your own community helmet promotion campaign, please contact the Canadian Bike Helmet Coalition, 885 Meadowlands Dr. E., Suite 512, Ottawa, ON K2C 3N2. Tel: (613) 224^4144. for any length of time and the car is out of sight. • When you stop al a hotel or motel you should determine the most direct route to and from your room, the most direct route to the fire escapes, elevators and nearest hall phone. Lingering in hallways or other isolated areas is an invitation for assault. • When in your room, use all auxiliary locking devices on doors and windows. Don't rely on chains alone as a deterrent. Use the door viewer to identify anyone requesting entry before you open the door. Then open the door only if you are certain the person has legitimate reason to enter your room. If in doubt, call the hotel/motel office. • Once you are safely in your room, unpack and place belongings in the closet and dresser. Lock and stow empty suitcases so they can't be used to carry your property out of your room. Take your valuables and place them in the hotel/motel safe. • Be alert in hallways, elevators or parking lots. Report anyone who appears suspicious to the hotel/motel security people. • When you are by yourself don't enter an elevator with anyone who arouses your suspicions. If someone you are not sure about gets on the elevator with you, wait to signal your destination until he or she gets off, even if that means riding all the way back to the lobby. Stand close to the control panel so you can reach the emergency alarm if necessary. Have a friend or the hotel/motel security person walk with you to your car if it is parked in a dark area. You can drop the person back at the main entrance. Call our Service Department Today! • Service on brakes, mufflers and all other systems • Goodyear tires - all sizes • Safety inspections on all cars & trucks. 10% PARTS & LABOUR On All Repairs - Book in advance Fine UsedI Cars & Trucks 887-9269 Test your bicycle traffic knowledge True False 1. Riding against the traffic flow is safe because motorists can see you clearly. ------ ------ 2. The most common cause of cycling injuries is collisions between bikes and cars. ------ ------ 3. More accidents happen on bike paths than on roads. ------ ------ 4. Bike accidents never happen on sidewalks. • ------ ------ 5. Cyclists must stop and look in all directions before leaving a driveway. ------ ------ pjoqi oj aioq uiojj ARHJVS ji pin? 8ui|jBpod jo§ oj noX soSin uotjBioossy SuqoX^ treipBUB^ oqj^ •joojjs oqi Suuajuo oiojoq dojs jsnui Xoqj tuonoosiojui up st ooubjjuo Xp/AOAiip oqj jpqj uaippqo moX jpj oi sins og gOBT S ■sSutsso-io XsMOAiip pup jooijs jp uouiuioo sip sqjPAxopis uo sjuoprooy HSHVd t7 •sppoi uo upqj sqipd o>fiq uo uaddpq oi Xp^q sp souiii 97 sip sjuopiooy 'HflHJL ’£ •saunfui SuqoXo jo osnpo uouiuioo jsoui oqj ojp sqpj 3S1VJ Z sjpo sp ppoi oqj jo sopu ouips oqj Xoqo pjnoqs pup soprqoA oip sojoXoig HS3V3 ’I zsJdMSuy SOUTH END AUTO MOTOR VEHICLE INSPECTION STATION •ELECTRONIC TUNE-UPS • AIR CONDITIONING SERVICE • BALANCING • • COMPLETE BRAKE SERVICE • GENERAL REPAIRS • SERVICING ALL MAKES AND MODELS Box 309 Blyth, Ont. N0M 1 HO Phone: (519) 523-4424 DAN'S AUTO BEPAW? 523-4356 SPECIAL MATT SEE US FOR ALL YOUR TIRE NEEDS 523-4742 After Hours 522-1629 OIL and FILTER |NCLUDES ‘ upto5Liow3ooii * oil filter CHANGE * chassy grease * labour ENDS APRIL 30/94 CHECKING * fluid levels (add as required - extra) ‘ tires - pressure & condition * exhaust parts * belts 1O% off all exhaust parts You’ll find a good selection of new and used tires for all makes and models See you at the fireworks in Londesboro May 23. Live entertainment provided before the fireworks begin. Phone 523-4356 for an appointment Open Mon. - Fri. 8:00 - 5:30 Located at Snell Feed & Supplies Ltd. Notice - Now owned & managed by Dan & Heather Snell * Computerized tune-ups * brakes ■ turn drums & rotors * exhaust * headlight aiming * tires ■ sales, repairs, computerized wheel balancing * service * battery sales - testing & service ‘ vehicle inspection station