Bicycle Safety

Newsletter
2000/2001

Traffic Safety Programs
Office of Traffic Injury Control Programs

Volume 5
Fall

Safety Countermeasures is a periodic update of the program activities of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Safety Countermeasures Division

Community Oriented Policing Strategies (COPS) on Bikes

Historically, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has worked with the law enforcement community to reduce the number of traffic related fatalities and injuries. Many law enforcement agencies are now using bicycles for patrol operation. Moreover, many law enforcement agencies have also identified a need for a training program designed specifically to allow law enforcement officers to educate the public about bicycle safety and injury prevention.

Through a cooperative agreement with NHTSA, the Transportation Safety Institute (TSI) is developing a comprehensive bicycle safety training program designed for law enforcement use. The training module will provide law enforcement officers with the knowledge and skills necessary to become spokespersons on the benefits of bicycle safety and transportation. Information on helmet use, enforcement strategies and the role of law enforcement in promoting safe bicycling will be addressed.

Some of the proposed modules include:

What is My Role? Describes the role of law enforcement representatives and departments in promoting bicycle safety.

What Does My Community Need? Provides information on the problem identification processes and conducting basic community profiles.

How Do I Get Started? Creates a Sample Plan-of-Action based on problem areas and community needs and wants.

How Do I Build a Community Partnership? Provides information on building community partnerships.

What Part Does Education Play In The Program?

Describes the methods for training and educating various audiences and target populations on bicycle safety issues.

How Do I Promote a Bicycle Safety Program In My Community? Provides useful information on the importance of community buy-in and support for the bicycle safety program.

Pilot testing of the program is scheduled to begin during Spring 2001. If you would like to provide ideas and input, please send an e-mail to Marietta Pearson at mpearson@nhtsa.dot.gov.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Federal Highway Administration and the Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center collaborated to host a Bicycle Safety Conference on July 21^st and 22^nd, 2000 at the International Trade Center in Washington, DC. The goal of the conference was to stimulate professionals in the traffic safety, public health, planning, child development and cycling communities to improve bicycle safety among children to improve bicycle safety among children, youth and young adults, and to establish the critical next-steps needed to improve bicycle safety. Leaders from all areas of bicycle safety expertise met to provide input on the development of a comprehensive, 3-5 year national plan of action for bicycle safety.

The conference participants worked to include specific actions to be taken in five areas: bicycle safety education, bicycle planning and facilities, educating motorists to share the road with bicyclists, increasing the use of bicycle helmets, and the role of law enforcement in bicycle safety. A list of recommendations for a national plan of action was generated.

Members of the National Bicycle Safety Network (NBSN), an organization co-chaired by NHTSA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), served as the steering committee for the conference. The steering committee members were responsible for articulating the goals, outcomes, and format of the conference. A follow-up meeting, with members of the steering committee, to discuss the Action Plan and the next steps is scheduled for early Fall 2000.

NHTSA Partners with the League of American Bicyclists

NHTSA is working with the League of American Bicyclists (LAB) to revise the Effective Cycling Course taught by many League instructors. The objective of the revision is to develop and deliver a bicycle training program that is more flexible in design and may be used by cyclists with various levels of experience. The course materials will be designed so that they are readily adaptable and may be used according to the individual needs of the participants.

A meeting of bicycle curriculum experts was held at LAB's headquarters in late August. LAB anticipates that a draft of the revised curriculum will be available for pilot testing next summer. Once the curriculum is revised, LAB will continue to certify instructors to teach the course. For more information, contact Marietta Pearson at mpearson@nhtsa.dot.gov

Development of a Bikeability Checklist

NHTSA has initiated work with the Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center to design bikeability checklist to raise the public's awareness about the transportation, environmental and health benefits associated with biking. The checklist can create awareness about how bikeable a community is; identify bicycle safety concerns; and encourage bicycling. It will be designed so after that biking to school, a friend's home, or work, a bicyclist will answer questions about the biking environment-were streets easy to navigate, how pleasant the bike trip was, how did motorist behave, etc. Suggested actions - immediate and long term - will be provided including a contact list of valuable resources that can assist in making the necessary changes to encourage bicycling. The checklist should be available by summer 2001. For more information, contact Marietta Pearson at mpearson@nhtsa.dot.gov

Emergency Nurses Association & Minor League Baseball Partner for Bike Safety

This pilot project links Emergency Nurses Association (ENA) chapters with Minor League Baseball for the purpose of increasing bicycle safety among local children. Rather than a "one-time" event, like a bike rodeo, the project involves a program lasting several months. The objective of the project has been to get children to form the habit of wearing bike helmets during the program period, and continue to wear them after the program is over.

This project is being conducted in three phases, over a two year period:

1) Phase 1, a "kick-off" event early in the season, consists of a bike "rodeo" conducted at a Minor League Baseball game, during which children are fitted with free bike helmets and taught basic bike safety. Children attending these bike rodeos are enlisted to wear their helmets for the rest of the baseball (spring/summer) season.

2) During "Phase 2", local Enforcement and Fire/Rescue Departments, gave children "coupons" every time they were seen wearing a helmet as they rode their bikes in the community. These coupons were distributed over a 6-8 week period. Each coupon increased the participating child's chances of winning larger items (bicycles, free prizes) etc.

3) During Phase 3, a "closing" event (e.g., baseball game late in the season), a drawing was held, to award larger prizes, such as bicycles, to participating children.

Minor League Baseball has a long history of family involvement and has served as a "natural" in providing access to the audience that NHTSA and ENA desired to reach - children. Through this project, agencies involved have learned that bicycle safety programs have the potential to benefit all organizations involved. And for very obvious reasons, educating the public about the importance of bicycle safety and helmet use has the potential to benefit children in important and lasting ways.

During the first year, two ENA/ENCARE chapters participated: Toledo, Ohio and Portland, Oregon.

In Toledo, Ohio the ENA's "Seagate" partnered with the local chapter of SAFEKIDS, as well as the Police Department and EMS personnel. The kick-off event took place at a local Day Camp event for 5,000 kids. The day camp event was a Toledo Mud Hens game at which "Muddy"the Mud Hens mascot took part in an enactment of a bike crash out on the field, and project participants narrated the demonstration and gave game attendees facts, figures, and message on bike safety. The bike rodeo conducted was attended by 25-30 kids. The day camp event was covered by local television, and the helmet demo with the Mud Hens mascot did appear on the news.

In Portland, Oregon, ENA's Portland chapter partnered with THINK FIRST, American Medical Response, the Portland Fire Bureau, and Oregon Health Sciences University. The major bike safety event was conducted at a Portland Rockies game. At this game, attended by 5,000, a bike rodeo was held. 200 children received free helmets, and learned about proper bike and helmet use. A total of 267 kids were entered for a grand prize drawing, and a new bike and safety gear were awarded to a 6-year-old winner.

For more information please contact Laurie Flaherty at lflaherty@nhtsa.dot.gov

Youth Kick Off National Bike Month With Push For Bike Friendly World

On May 10th, at Garfield Circle on the west side of the Capitol, Earth Force, a national nonprofit organization to help young people solve environmental problems in their communities, celebrated youth and their national Get Out Spoke'n! Campaign to make America more bike-friendly. More than 100 local youth joined the Earth Force Youth from across the country to call for safe bicycling as a viable means of transportation. Young people voiced their concerns about air pollution, urban sprawl, and lack of places to bike and do so safely, at the Youth Bicycle Summit held in Washington, D.C. The Youth Bike Summit event was cosponsored by NHTSA, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and The Pew Charitable Trusts. The event kicked-off National Bike Month with an awards ceremony recognizing youth groups from around the country for their contributions to improving bicycling and bicycle safety in their communities.

NHTSA Deputy Administrator Rosalyn G. Millman spoke to the children about the importance of always following the rules of the road when biking especially wearing a bike helmet. Also on hand to congratulate the award winners and provide remarks were members of Congress including Representatives Earl Bluemenauer, David Bonior, Mark Foley, and David Minge. Following remarks and award presentations, Millman and Congressman Bonior joined the youth in a bicycle rodeo to teach and emphasize safe riding skills.

The top three award winners of the 2000 Get Out Spoke'n! Recognition Award included:

1. Not Just Your Ordinary Bike-to-School Day, Colonia, New Jersey. The St. John Vianney sixth grade class worked to make their community easy to bike by organizing a Bike-to-School day which consisted of conducting surveys, collaborating with community officials and members of the police bike squad to provide safety checkpoints for those cycling to school.

2. Erie Bike Force, Erie, Pennsylvania. A group of eighteen young people collected hundreds of surveys and assessments that indicated bicycle safety as a major concern in their area. To address this problem, they held events, made presentations and partnered with other local government organizations and youth groups to get the word out about safe cycling.

3. Pedaling in Paradise, Cape Coral, Florida. These students worked together to make an existing narrow bike path safer. They worked together to purchase 30 bicycles, helmets, safety vests and baskets for children who did not have appropriately sized bicycles. Thanks to their efforts, many students of Sanibel schools will be able to enjoy more of the natural resources their barrier island has to offer.

For the second year, NHTSA partnered with a non-traditional organization to emphasize the need for safe bicycling, as well as bicycling for cleaner air and better health. Earth Force, is a national nonprofit organization working with young people for change in their communities, while developing lifelong habits of active citizenship and environmental stewardship. Earth Force launched the Get Out Spoke'n! Campaign in September 1998 to encourage young people to get their communities biking. Young people across the nation have joined the initiative, creating local projects to improve bicycling in their neighborhoods. A booklet describing the award winning projects, along with runner-up projects, for both the 1999 and 2000 Summits, is available. For copies, contact Marietta Pearson at mpearson@nhtsa.dot.gov

Bicycle Safety Peer Education Program

This is a collaborative project with the National Peer Helpers Association, International Association of Campus Law Enforcement, National Safety Council, National Organizations for Youth Safety and NHTSA's Safety Countermeasures Division. Recent literature and research studies suggest that peer mediated programs appear to be useful and effective in influencing youth in practicing desired behaviors. A pilot test of the Bicycle Safety Peer Program (BSPP) has been completed in an elementary school setting and is currently underway in a University setting, which will also involve the local community. The BSPP will enable trained middle school peer leaders to meet with and educate younger elementary youth about bicycle safety and bicycle helmet use. In the college setting, upper level college students will educate incoming freshmen as part of their summer orientation programs. For more information please e-mail Marietta Pearson at mpearson@nhtsa.dot.gov

Bicycle Helmet Legislation Effects

Previous studies have assessed the attitudes of parents and children toward bicycle helmet ownership and use in various settings. There is a need to address the effects of bicycle legislation in increasing helmet use and evaluate programs implemented to enforce the laws. This project will examine the effect of helmet legislation on increasing bicycle helmet usage by reviewing pre-legislation and post-legislation data, where available. Communities and states with both positive and negative experiences will be analyzed, in order to provide a set of "lessons learned" about bicycle helmet laws at both the state and community levels. The final product will include profiles of successful and not so successful sites; problems encountered and how they were addressed; and lessons learned.

Ride Like A Pro Community Handbook Complete

The Ride Like a Pro bicycle safety program has been such a big success in the past years that NHTSA has completed a Ride Like a Pro Community Coordinator's Handbook. This will enable communities to participate and host the event, reaching a much larger audience and getting more helmets on the heads of more kids. This program creates opportunities for education and demonstration emphasizing the importance of bicycle helmet use, along with providing an opportunity to learn safe riding techniques. The Handbook is now available. Please contact Marietta Pearson at mpearson@nhtsa.dot.gov for copies.