WheelBicycle Injury Prevention for Children

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Wheel/Bicycle Injury Prevention for Children

• Safe Kids Charlotte Mecklenburg
• 2008

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Safe Kids Charlotte Mecklenburg

• Member of Safe Kids World Wide - 600 Coalitions
• Only worldwide effort to eliminate accidental
  injury and death to children worldwide

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Safe Kids Charlotte Mecklenburg

• Our Mission
• Providing childhood injury prevention outreach to
  the Charlotte Mecklenburg Community

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Childhood Wheel-relatedInjuries and Deaths

• National
• State
• Local
• Cost - Every dollar spent on a bike helmet saves
  society 30. If 85 of young cyclists wore
  their helmets for a year, the lifetime medical
  cost savings could total between 134 million and
  174 million.
• Per Safe Kids Worldwide 2005

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The 4 Es
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Engineering

• Roads Parks
• Layouts/designs - bike friendly?
• Responsible Agencies DOT, Parks Rec Depts,
  Advocates

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Engineering

• Skate Parks

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Enforcement

• NC Law
• Bicycle
• Helmet
• Mecklenburg County Ordinance
• County Parks
• City of Charlotte Ordinance
• Discussion
• Best Practice/recommendations
• Responsible agencies LEO, Parks Rec, Advocates

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Encouragement

• Activities
• Free to participate in
• Incentives 2007 Coupon Example
• Items related to wheeled sports
• Helmets (free or discount)
• Reflective Items
• Water Bottles/Stickers
• Charlotte Knights/Carowinds
• Lead by Example parents, adults

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Education - Programs
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Education - Displays

• Have a goal
• Can reach broad age range
• Needed supplies
• Props, Prizes, Safety Wheel, Worksheets, other
• Incentives
• Activities
• Follow Up/Evaluation
• Have a Bicycle Rodeo!

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Education - Assemblies

• Have a Goal
• Can reach broad age range
• Videos
• Demonstration
• Jello Brain
• Melon Drop
• Incentives
• Follow Up/Evaluation
• Have a Bicycle Rodeo!

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Bicycle Helmet Distribution

• Establish guidelines
• SKCM Distribution Policy
• Children
• Must be properly fitted in a helmet
• Must follow all instructor guidelines
• Must complete the Bike Safety Rodeo Course.
• Size helmets/How to fit a helmet
• Waiver/release completed
• Evaluation/follow up

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Do you know the correct way to wear a helmet?

• Wear the helmet flat atop your head, not tilted
  back at an angle! www.cpsc.gov

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Do you know the correct way to wear a helmet?

• Make sure the helmet fits snugly and does not
  obstruct your field of vision. Make sure the chin
  strap fits securely and that the buckle stays
  fastened. www.cpsc.gov

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Videos

• Jello in a Jar Safe Kids Worldwide
• Ride Safe, Its Time to Start NHTSA
• Bike Safe. Bike Smart. - NHTSA

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Bicycle Check-Up

• Use only experienced bicycle personnel
• Needed supplies
• Bike repair tools
• Participants bring their own bikes/wheeled
  equipment
• Evaluation Method

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Bike Inspections

• Inspect the bikes to be sure that they are safe
  to ride.
• Use a checklist as a guide
• If the bicycle cannot be fixed on-site you must
  turn them away for safety reasons.
• Ask for help from your local bike shop or cycling
  groups.

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What is a Bicycle Safety Rodeo?

• Bicycle Safety Education Programs, designed to
  allow for fun while learning safety.
• At a SKCM Bicycle Rodeo, SKCM members teach
  rules of the road, as well as proper helmet
  usage for the public.
• Bicycle Rodeos are a Free Bicycle Safety
  Education service offered to the public. A rodeo
  is not a free bike or helmet give-a-way program.
• Involvement by the participant is required during
  a rodeo.

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SKCM Equipment Guidelines

• Equipment must be reserved for events and
  programs meeting SKCM Guidelines
• Equipment can only be towed by city/county
  vehicles driven by city/county employees with an
  approved city/county drivers permit
• Distribution helmets are NOT guaranteed for all
  programs.
• DONATIONS APPRECIATED!!
• Program Summaries/Evaluations are required

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SKCM Rodeo Equipment

• 5 same-sized bikes
• 2 stop signs
• Bike repair kit w/extra tube and air pump
• 2 A- frame signs with Rules of the Rodeo (English
  and Spanish)
• Form box (helmet distribution form, event summary
  form, pens and clipboard)
• Rodeo layout configuration

• Chalk
• Cones/course markers
• Barrier Tape
• Trash bags
• Tent
• Table and tablecloth
• Educational literature
• Helmets (min. 16 small, medium and large)
• Head covers
• Cooler/Snacks/Water (for staff)

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Education Bicycle Safety Rodeos

• SKCM Guidelines/Requirements
• SAFETY FOR STAFF PARTICIPANTS!!
• Waiver Release
• Rules of the Rodeo
• Equipment/Supplies
• Rodeo Layout
• Evaluation

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Bike Safety Rodeo Rules

• Participants must follow these rules to
  participate in a SKCM Bicycle Safety Rodeo.
• Children
• Must be between 8-12 years old
• Must know how to ride a bike independently
• Must properly wear a helmet at all times
• Must pay attention and follow instructions at all
  times
• Must stay on the course at all times
• Must return all equipment
• Must promise to always BE SAFE!
• Must LEARN and HAVE FUN!

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Bicycle Safety Rodeo

• 4 Key Components
• Balance
• Control
• Turning
• Stopping

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Balance

• Layout 2 parallel lines about 60 foot long and 3
  foot apart. Have participants ride between the
  lines as slowly as they can without touching
  their feet to the ground or crossing the lines.
• This should take at least 30 seconds to ride the
  60 foot section.

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Balance
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Control

• Place 10 small cones approximately 6 feet
• apart in a straight line. Have participants
• ride in and out of the cones, in a serpentine
  pattern, without wobbling or touching their feet
  to the ground.

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Turning
Layout cones as shown in the diagram. Participants
should enter on their bikes, make three right
turns and two left turns to exit.
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STOP
LEFT TURN
RIGHT TURN
ALSO MEANS RIGHT TURN
www.kidshealth.org
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Stop Box
Place 3 cones at the end of a 100 foot distance.
Have participants ride their bikes at a normal
speed and then come to a complete stop within 2-4
feet of the cones. This should be a controlled
stop. Neither foot can touch the ground until the
bike has stopped completely. No skidding or
wobbling.
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Helpful Hints

• Ride the course to demonstrate the proper way to
  complete the course and to show participants the
  correct route to take.
• Use sidewalk chalk, signs, or assistants to help
  direct participants in the right direction.

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Helpful Hints

• You may have to modify the course to fit your
  location. If you modify the course, make sure to
  incorporate all four skills (balance, control,
  turning, and stopping).
• Remember, this is a slow speed control drill.
  Make the participants control their speed
  throughout the course.

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Evaluations

• Evaluate each student. Have them repeat the
  course as many times as they need to.
• Let everyone ride at least twice.

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Dont have a trailer?Create a Bike Kit

• Supply Box
• 3 helmets
• Small
• Medium
• Large
• Course Markers/Chalk
• Educational literature
• Rodeo Layout configuration
• Event summary form
• Additional Recommendations (not included)
• 1 bike or have participants bring their own
• Head covers

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Research Evaluations

• Know why you are doing the program
• Where to get research?
• Know how you are going to evaluate it
• How are you going to pay for it?
• Discussion

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Resources

• NC DOT
• City/County DOT
• Bicycle Shops/Groups
• Corporate Sponsors
• Grant Funds
• Hospital ER Data

• UNC Research Center
• Center for Disease Control
• Helmet/Bicycle suppliers
• Parks Rec Departments
• AAA
• Public Safety Departments

• Safe Kids Worldwide
• Safe Kids North Carolina
• Local Safe Kids Coalitions

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Sponsorship Ideas

• Sponsor logo on the helmets
• Sponsor logo on distribution items
• Sponsors donate employee time, space, equipment,
  supplies, goodies, prizes, food, etc!!!!!!

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Marketing your Event

• Media releases
• Flyers
• School participation
• Websites

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• Bicycle Safety Rodeo Equipment
• Course Evaluation

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Thank You!

• Safe Kids Charlotte Mecklenburg
• 2008