School Helmet Safety Program

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School Helmet Safety Program

• A program designed to increase the helmet use of
  middle school aged children developed for the
  FDOT Safety Office
• Ron Van Houten, Western Michigan University and
• Louis Malenfant, Center for Education and
  Research in Safety

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Safety is Important

• Per capita bicycle deaths in Florida are more
  than twice the national average
• Florida leads the nation in bicycle fatalities
• Middle School Aged Children have the highest rate
  of fatal and injury crashes

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Some Facts

• Helmets are 85 effective in preventing head
  injuries
• At some middle schools in Florida we have found
  as few as 3 of the children riding to school
  wear a helmet
• We often see children with bikes wearing the
  helmet on the handle bars
• When helmets are worn they are frequently
  unbuckled or the straps are very loose.

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The School Bicycle Safety Program

• Students selected to participate as school
  Bicycle Safety Patrol are trained by the school
  SRO how to observe and identify key safety
  behaviors of student bicyclists as they travel to
  and from school.

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The ProgramStep 1 Measure Helmet Use

• Grade 8 students are enlisted to make up the
  school bicycle helmet safety patrol.
• Students are taught to score helmet use and
  whether the helmets are worn correctly.
• Students score behavior at the end of the school
  day.
• SRO assigns students days to score and meets with
  them periodically to keep them motivated.

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Students are given special shirts
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Students are give easy to use sheets
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The SRO meets with student patrol
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Students who record data are given certificate
for Community Service hours at the end of the year
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How Well Do Children Measure Behavior

• They were highly accurate in measuring helmet use
  and whether the helmet was correctly worn
• Accuracy was determined by having two youths
  measure the behavior together and calculating the
  percentage of agreement between the two.
• Reliability was also computed between the
  students and research assistants.

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Step 2- Program Kick Off Presentation on Bicycle
Safety

• The School Resource Officer (SRO) initiates the
  program at an assembly by making a presentation
  on bicycle safety
• Showing a short movie on how to fit a bicycle
  helmet
• Moderating a discussion on bicycle safety, which
  includes setting target goals
• The SRO also identifies students without helmets,
  gives helmets out and helps fit helmets
• The SRO explains the program

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Explains Posted Feedback
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Step 3 - Feedback on Progress

• Following the presentation by the SRO the school
  bicycle safety patrol (students that record data)
  post the average daily student performance for
  each target behavior on a large chart inside the
  school entrance.
• A weekly announcement on Monday morning provides
  feedback on the level of each safety behaviors
  attained the previous week, praise improvements,
  and prompt behaviors for the following week (SRO
  or students make announcements).

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Posted in Locations that are vandal proof and in
common viewBefore After
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Step 4 Shared Rewards

• Shared rewards for group performance tend to
  facilitate group cohesiveness among members of
  the group.
• Rewards will include praise from staff and the
  SRO and an ice cream party or a pizza party at
  the end of the project with donated prizes and a
  draw for a bicycle.

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Results

• The program produced a large increase in helmet
  use and correct helmet use in all three schools
• The program produced the largest increase in the
  two schools with a history of helmet enforcement
• Helmet enforcement alone did not get helmet use
  into the target area
• The program without enforcement (one school) was
  effective but did not get helmet use into the
  target area

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Other results

• Probe data taken by research assistants showed
  that helmet use also increased in the morning
  even though data were not taken in the AM
• Probe data showed that students did not take
  their helmet off a quarter mile to a half mile
  from the school
• The results persisted after the party was over