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Bike Rodeo is a free event held at a park at which children are given a new
bicycle helmet for free if they go through a 15 minute class on bike safety. |
Safe Kids
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A Bike Rodeo is a free event held at a park at which children are given a new bicycle helmet for free if they go through a 15 minute class on bike safety. They get to choose the design and color, but the helmet is sized and fitted by a volunteer who is trained in proper helmet fitting. They also get a free healthy lunch and learn about the benefits of healthy eating and exercise. The kids get to ride their own bike (while wearing their new helmet) through a Mock City bike course with mock traffic lights, stop signs and cross walks, where they are instructed on safe riding. Kids with bikes that have mechanical problems can get their bikes repaired for free by bike mechanics. Kids who cannot afford a bike, get a free bicycle, typically a used donated bike that has been fixed up, checked thoroughly and road tested. Throughout the event there are free raffles with hand outs of bike paraphernalia like bike gloves, handlebar tape and bike horns in funny shapes like sumo wrestlers or whales. Local bike shops tend to be very generous in donating helmets and bike paraphernalia, and may even supply their mechanics as volunteers. Since 1992 Bell Sports has been a major sponser of Safe Kids and has provided many thousands of new bike helmets at cost to help out with these programs.
Why are Bike Rodeos important? More than 70% of all children ages 5-14 ride bikes. Approximately 21% of all bike related deaths and 50% of all bike related injuries are suffered by this age group. Bicycles are associated with more childhood injuries and deaths than any cause except automobile crashes. Head injuries account for over 60% of bicycle related deaths, over two-thirds of bicycle related hospitalizations and one-third of bike related hospital ER visits.The single most effective safety device to prevent head injury to reduce its severity is the bike helmet, yet national estimates of helmet use among child bike riders is just 15-25%. There have been some studies showing bike helmet use as low as 2%. Failure to properly size the helmet, fit it properly on the child's head and properly secure the chin straps means that many of the helmet users are getting little or none of the intended protection of wearing one. One published study in the New England Journal of Medicine showed that 85% of the time parents were not putting their kids helmets snugly or in right position. Bike Rodeos are meant to turn this situation around, not only by encouraging helmet use and giving out free helmets but by teaching kids how to safely put on their helmets and having them fitted by trained volunteers. Bike Rodeos have helped decrease deaths and serious injuries. Over the past 10 years there has been an overall 20% drop in bike related head injuries in children.
If you want to volunteer at a Bike Rodeo, contact the nearest Safe Kids Coalition by going to the website at www.safekids.org Below are photos of the Bide Rodeo at San Pablo Park in Berkeley, CA, taken on 4/30/05. This rodeo was put on a partnership between the City of Berkeley Dept. of Public Health, Safe Kids Coaliton of Alameda County and other groups. Helmets and bike paraphernalia were donated by Cycle Sports of Oakland and Wheels of Justice of Montclair. I got to participate as a speaker on the need for kids to always wear helmets, and what can happen to them if they don't. I also got to fit bike helmets onto some very happy and appreciative kids. Bike Rodeos are a fun way to help the cause of childhood injury prevention, and I would encourage everyone reading this section of the website to participate in whatever way they can.