YOUNG RIDERS LEARN RULES OF THE ROAD AT SAFETY VILLAGE

Each time the young riders approach the curve at Safety Village, they check the yield sign and then slow their bicycles to a safer speed.

With careful deliberation, the petite pedestrians stop walking at the corner, look left, then right, then left again and over their shoulders before crossing the street.

Traffic safety lessons like these come to life at Safety Village, a tennis court at Missouri Park converted into a miniature town complete with working traffic lights, railroad tracks and street signs.

"Kids learn by doing things themselves," said Cape Girardeau police officer Jeannie Dailey, who teaches the safety course. "They learn from experience. You can tell them and show them, but until they actually do it they don't learn as well."

The Safety Village gives children a chance to practice their lessons in a somewhat realistic setting.

This is the first summer Safety Village has been in operation, and more than 60 children have participated.

Sharee Galnore, coordinator of the community traffic safety program in Cape Girardeau, said, "Of course, our number one concern is reducing injuries as related to traffic accidents.

"Traffic injuries are the number one cause of accidental injuries to children. We hope they learn to be safe as they cross the street or ride a bike."

But, Dailey added, the kids also have fun. "They absolutely have a good time," she said.

Children spend half the 20-hour class in the classroom and the other half at the Safety Village practicing their traffic safety rules.

On the course, they ride either Big Wheels tricycles, complete with seat belts, or bicycles, if they're proficient riders.

"They are also learning about using bicycle helmets, a safety factor that is fairly new in our community," Galnore said.

Each child is given a helmet to wear during the course and then to keep.

They pedal around the converted tennis court, stopping at stop signs, obeying traffic lights and using hand signals.

Children, ages 5-8, participating in the program agree almost unanimously that riding bikes or Big Wheels is the best part of the program.

Shannon Dailey, 8, said, "I like riding around. I like riding bikes a lot. We learn how to ride safe."

John Taylor, 8, said the Safety Village was a lot of fun. "It looks like a real town with real stop lights and yield signs and a railroad track. I learned the new hand signals, and we get a free helmet."

Amber Probst, 5, said she too was excited about getting a free helmet. "I like to ride bikes. I also learned about `Walk' and `Don't Walk.'"

Erica Kinnison, 7, explained why it was important for her and the other children to learn these lessons. "So we can be safe," she said. "We have to be safe from cars."

Sometimes a child forgets to stop at a stop sign or ignores the "Don't Walk" signal. But classmates quickly remind each other of the rules.

Galnore said the safety village concept had been viewed for several years before it was implemented this year.

"This seemed the right time to do it," she said. "We had an officer available to do the program. We felt it was important for the kids to interact with police officers on a daily basis."

Dailey has worked with children for three years as the city's D.A.R.E. officer during the school year, teaching drug prevention to children.

"Police officers represent the laws, but the kids have a chance to see us as people who care and want to show them what's best for them," Dailey said.

The city donated use of the tennis court at Missouri Park for the program, and the Cape Girardeau school system allowed the Safety Village to use classrooms at nearby Washington School.

Galnore said that once the decision was made to go ahead with the village, community support was overwhelming.

"There has been a lot of community effort for the kids," she added.

Service clubs, businesses and city departments all had a hand in making the village possible.

Wal-Mart donated bicycles and Big Wheels for the children to ride.

"This way we have bicycles here and don't have to require the children to bring a bike," Galnore said. "And once again, the fire department has been a lifesaver. They made the course come together by putting in the traffic lights."

Children practice traffic safety every day, but they also learn other safety tips.

Children learn how to be safe around electricity, water, and trains, Dailey said. They also are taught fire safety lessons and visit hospital emergency rooms.

Burlington Northern Railroad Company participates in one of the safety programs. "We have a lot of trains that come through this area," Dailey said.

Union Electric brings in a miniature town with live electricity to demonstrate the daily potential hazards of electricity.

Volunteers from Boy Scout Explorer Post 911 and their police officer advisers also have helped.

When the organized courses end Aug. 1, Safety Village will be available for other groups or organizations, Galnore said. Teachers of preschool groups or school classes may use the equipment for their own lessons.

"If it's at all possible, we will have an officer there also," she said. For more information, call the traffic safety office at 335-7908.

Next year, the village will further resemble a community, Galnore said. Plans are to build small, plywood buildings to represent fire and police stations, a school, church, and other familiar community sites.

"It will be kind of a generic community," Galnore said. "We are looking for organizations to take this on as a service project."

Galnore said the entire project will be reviewed at the end of the summer to see what changes should be made for next year. But Galnore and Dailey agreed the program successfully taught children safety while they were having fun.

"They are much more aware of what's going on around them with drivers and the different hazards out there when they ride bikes and even when they play in their yards," said Dailey.

Children who recognized traffic signs when they entered the class now understand what those signs mean.

"They actually know what a yellow light means," she added. "I don't stress that young children ride on the streets. Eight-year-olds still need supervision of parents.

"But it's important that children understand safety rules and obey them," Dailey added. "They need to know how to be safe themselves. Parents can't watch every child every moment of the day. They need to know how to protect themselves and who to turn to if they need help."