In 1998, 761 bicyclists were killed and an additional 53,000 were injured in crashes with motor vehicles. Nearly a third of those killed were children between the ages of five and 15, which makes bicycle crashes one of the most frequent causes of injury-related deaths for young children.

Sadly, between 70-80 percent of bicycle fatalities involve head injury. Bike helmets could prevent many of these deaths because helmets are 85-88 percent effective in preventing head and brain injuries. Bike helmets are also one of the most cost-effective public health options we have available today. Every $10 bike helmet saves this country $30 in direct health care costs and an additional $365 in societal costs. Bike helmets are a great investment for families and for our society.

Although winter may not be a leading bike-riding season, depending on your location, National Child Passenger Safety Week is a good time to announce upcoming plans for the spring and summer. Here are some ideas for this week and the upcoming warmer months.

NHTSA's "Ride Like a Pro" bicycle safety event has been a success and has inspired the new Ride Like a Pro Community Coordinator's Handbook to help generate more local community programs that encourage bike helmets and safe bicycling habits (see Program Publications for Planner 21 to order).

The Emergency Nurses Association has teamed up with Minor League Baseball to promote bicycle safety and bike helmet use for children. To find out what's happening in your area, contact:

• Laurie Flaherty
• NHTSA
• 400 Seventh St., SW
• NTS-20, Room 5118
• Washington, DC 20590
• E-mail: lflaherty@nhtsa.dot.gov

You can also make arrangements with local high school, college and professional sports teams to make bicycle safety announcements during games, give away bike helmets as door prizes, and even sponsor contests such as a basketball half-time shoot with a new bike with a helmet as a prize.

Indoors or out, you can hold a bike safety rally with games and activities, including a helmet-decorating contest. If you are in a cold-weather climate, use a school gymnasium for demonstrations of good bicycling and safety habits.

Earth Force, a national nonprofit organization, will be holding a national "Get Out Spoke'n" bicycle event in May 2000. See the National Bicycle Month flyer in this Program Planner for more information.

You can reproduce the following Child Transportation Safety Tips to distribute to your constituents:

Tip #10 – Play It Safe: Walking and Biking Safely (toddlers and preschoolers)

Tip #11 – Kids on the Move: Walking and Biking Safely (kindergarten to grade three)

Tip #14 – Beyond the Front Yard: Creating Safer Streets and Play Places for Children