MEDIA RELEASE

Tuesday, November 24, 2015
Students jostling for top cyclist spot

Students from around the Region are prepping their bikes and donning their helmets in the hopes of being crowned the Central District’s Young Cyclist of the Year on Thursday 26 November.

Students will navigate the streets of Palmerston North for road testing and practical bicycle skills led by Police School Community Officers with support from Horizons Regional Council’s road safety team.

The students are aged between 10 and 13 and will come from Whanganui, Palmerston North, Tararua, Manawatu, Horowhenua, and Rangitikei. Each student had to compete against others in their district to gain their spot with only one boy and one girl chosen from each district.

Constable Rob Conder, School Community Officer is thrilled to be involved in the 16th year of the competition.

“The children have trained really hard for this event by learning the cycle code and practicing all their bike skills,” says Mr Conder

All the bikes and gear will be inspected on arrival to ensure they’re safe and competitors will be put through a skills test and a helmet fitting test.
The students will navigate 15 intersections including give ways, traffic lights, roundabouts and uncontrolled intersections. Police officers will be stationed to mark the competitors on their ability to check for traffic and follow the road rules.
Horizons Regional Council road safety coordinator Glenda Leitao says that each student should be proud of making it to the finals.

“Every student has proven that they have a good knowledge of road safety and they should be proud of making it past their district finals to compete.

“What will really separate contestants is their knowledge of road rules and the students who have thoroughly studied their road code will have an advantage on the day,” she says

The competition is being held at Barber Hall in Waldegrave Street, Palmerston North between 9.30am and 12.30pm followed by a prizegiving at Central District Police Headquarters in Cuba Street.

ENDS.

© Scoop Media