POLICE DEPT.

BICYCLE PATROL

The Spearfish Police Department first Bicycle Patrol was launched in the summer of 1995 by Chief Jim Arnold. Since then, the Bicycle Patrol has become a very successful part of the Patrol Division.

The Bicycle Patrol is a very effective way in patrolling areas where the patrol vehicles can't go. It is also a great way, where our officers can get out and meet the public. Our Bicycle Patrol Officers are assigned to work regular patrol shifts and special assignments like the Festival In The Park and the Sturgis Bike Week.

 

---

Bicycle Safety

Bicycling is a fun and healthy exercise. Before riding your bicycle on roadways, take time to learn the rules. Many bicyclists are seriously injured in accidents because they are less protected than drivers of automobiles and/or they do not practice safe riding skills.

The Smart Route to Bicycle Safety

Tips from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Consumer Product Safety Commission:

• Protect your head. Wear a helmet. For children, use the extra padding that comes with the helmet to ensure a proper fit. This padding can be removed as the child's head grows.
• Assure bicycle readiness. Make sure your bicycle is adjusted properly. You should be able to stand over the top tube of your bicycle. Look at your bicycle owner's manual to help adjust the bike to you. Check to make sure all parts are working well. Add a carrier to your bike if you need to carry things.
• Always check brakes before riding. Control your speed by using your brakes. Apply the rear brake slightly before the front brake. To adjust your brakes, consult your bicycle owner's manual or have a bicycle shop adjust the brakes.
• See and be seen. Wear clothes that make you more visible (fluorescent or other bright colors during the day and reflective or retroreflective markings at night).
• Avoid biking at night. If you must ride at night, ride with reflectors and the brightest lights you can find for the front and rear of your bicycle. Wear retroreflective clothing or add retroreflective material (not just white or fluorescent) to your clothes, especially on your ankles, wrists, back and helmet. Young children should not ride at night.
• Go with the flow. The safe way is the right way (with the flow of traffic) in a straight, predictable path. Always go single file in the same direction as other vehicles.
• Check for traffic. Always be aware of the traffic around you. Be aware of vehicles backing out of driveways. Before you enter any street or intersection, check for traffic. Always look "left-right-left." Always use hand signals and never enter a street until there is a break in the traffic.
• Learn the rules of the road. Bicyclists must obey the same traffic laws as motorists. Follow all traffic signs, laws and rules for operating a vehicle on the road. Always signal your moves. Be courteous to pedestrians and other vehicle operators. Never wear headphones while riding. Learn about bike lanes and bike paths in your area and take advantage of them whenever possible.
• Stay alert. Always keep a lookout for obstacles in your path. Watch for potholes, cracks, expansion joints, railroad tracks, wet leaves, drainage grates, or anything that could make you fall. Before going around any object, scan ahead and behind for a gap in traffic. Plan your move and signal your intentions. If you are unsure of a rough area, pull off to the right side of the road and walk your bike around it.
• Don't flip over your bicycle. If your bicycle has quick-release wheels, make sure they are firmly closed at all times and use the safety retainer if there is one. Check your wheels before every ride, after any fall or after transporting your bicycle.

Bicycle Helmets

Why are bicycle helmets so important?
Bicycle helmets can reduce the risk of head injury by up to 85 percent. Most deaths related to bicycle falls and collisions involve head injuries. This means that wearing a helmet can save your life.

Do I really need to wear a bicycle helmet?
Yes. Each year, bicycle-related deaths number about 900, and United States hospital emergency rooms treat more than 500,000 people for bicycle-related injuries. More children, ages 5 to 14, go to United States hospital emergency rooms for injuries associated with bicycles than with any other sport. Many of these injuries involve the head. If you do not wear a bicycle helmet, you are risking your life.

Will bicycle helmets meeting CPSC's bicycle helmet safety standard protect young children?
Young children on bicycles suffer a higher proportion of head injuries than older bicyclists. Under CPSC's new standard, bicycle helmets for children ages 1 to 5 cover a larger portion of the head than helmets for older persons, thus providing additional protection.

All young children should wear a bicycle helmet, whether they are riding bicycles, tricycles, or are passengers on a parent's bicycle. Never carry a child under age 1 on your bicycle.

How can I tell if my bicycle helmet fits properly?
The helmet should fit comfortably and securely. It should be worn so that it is level on the head (not tilted back on the crown or pulled low over the forehead). You should not be able to move the helmet in any direction, back-to-front or side-to-side. The chin strap should be securely fastened. If needed, the helmet's sizing pads can help improve the fit.

 

---

South Dakota Codified Bicycle Laws

32-20B-1.   Identifying number required on bicycle sold at retail -- Violation as misdemeanor. A person engaged in the business of selling bicycles at retail may not sell any bicycle unless the bicycle has an identifying number permanently stamped or cast on its frame. A violation of this section is a Class 2 misdemeanor.

32-20B-2.   Operation on sidewalk or crosswalk -- Rights of bicyclist -- Duty to stop. A person operating a bicycle upon and along a sidewalk, or across a roadway upon and along a crosswalk, shall have all the rights and duties applicable to a pedestrian under the same circumstances, except as provided in §   32-20B-3, and except that bicyclists must stop before entering a crosswalk or highway from a sidewalk or sidewalk area.

32-20B-3.   Operation on sidewalk or crosswalk -- Duty to yield right-of-way to pedestrian -- Violation as misdemeanor. A person operating a bicycle upon and along a sidewalk, or across a roadway upon and along a crosswalk, shall yield the right-of-way to any pedestrian and shall give an audible signal before overtaking and passing a pedestrian. A violation of this section is a Class 2 misdemeanor.

32-20B-4.   Parking on sidewalk -- Violation as petty offense. A person may park a bicycle on a sidewalk unless prohibited or restricted by an official traffic control device or ordinance. The parked bicycle may not impede the normal and reasonable movement of pedestrian or other traffic. A violation of this section is a petty offense.

32-20B-5.   Operation on roadway -- Riding close to right-hand curb required -- Violation as misdemeanor. Any person operating a bicycle upon a roadway at less than the normal speed of traffic at the time and place and under the conditions then existing shall ride as close as practicable to the right-hand curb or edge of the roadway. However, a person operating a bicycle may move from the right-hand curb or edge of the roadway to overtake and pass another bicycle or vehicle proceeding in the same direction, to prepare for a left turn at an intersection or into a private road or roadway or to avoid conditions including, but not limited to, fixed or moving objects, parked or moving vehicles, bicycles, pedestrians, animals, surface hazards, or substandard width lanes that make it unsafe to continue along the right-hand curb or edge. For purposes of this section, a "substandard width lane" is a lane that is too narrow for a bicycle and vehicle to travel safely side by side within the lane. A violation of this section is a Class 2 misdemeanor.

32-20B-6.   Turning, stopping, or starting signals required -- Violation as misdemeanor. A person operating a bicycle shall give a continuous signal of intention to turn right or left during the last one hundred feet traveled by the bicycle before turning. The signal shall also be given while the bicycle is stopped waiting to turn. A signal by hand and arm need only be given intermittently if the hand is needed in the control operation of the bicycle. Except as provided in this section, a person operating a bicycle shall comply with the provisions of § §   32-26-22 and 32-26-22.1. A violation of this section is a Class 2 misdemeanor.

32-20B-7.   Racing in approved event authorized -- Approval of transportation commission or local authorities. Notwithstanding the provisions of §   32-25-23, a person may race a bicycle on a highway when competing in a racing event which has been approved by the transportation commission or local authorities on a highway under their jurisdictions. Approval of a bicycle highway racing event shall be granted only under conditions which assure reasonable safety for all race participants, spectators, and other highway users, and which prevent unreasonable interference with traffic flow which would seriously inconvenience other highway users. Tests of endurance are not considered bicycle racing.

32-20B-8.   Racing -- Exemption from traffic laws. The transportation commission or local authorities may exempt participants in an approved bicycle highway racing event on a highway under their jurisdiction from compliance with any traffic laws otherwise applicable thereto, provided that traffic control is adequate to assure the safety of all highway users.