May 4th, 2020: National Bike Safety Month & Bike to School Day
/May is National Bike Safety Month, and this Wednesday, May 6th, is National Bike to School Day! Social distancing doesn’t mean you can’t spend time outside, and many healthcare professionals are recommending spending time in nature and getting active to improve mental health. Celebrate National Bike Safety Month by putting on your helmets, following all road safety laws, and taking the family for a ride in your favorite park or around the neighborhood.
Every year since 2012, Walk & Bike to School hosts Bike to School Day (May 6th), which encourages healthy habits, a cleaner environment, a close-knit community, and an opportunity to promote safety while bike riding. Because schools are closed due to COVID-19, Walk & Bike to School has planned an entire week devoted to focusing on safety, community, and fun. Participate in their events and connect on social media to share how your family is recognizing Bike to School Day from a distance. Learn more about what they have planned here: http://www.walkbiketoschool.org
Bike Safety Resources
Bicycle Safety - National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
Rules of the Road for Riding Safely - National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
Safety in Seconds: Bike Helmets (Video) - Safe Kids Worldwide
On Bike or Foot, Help Kids Prevent Injuries With These 3 Safety Tips - Safe Kids Worldwide
Bicycle Helmets - Nationwide Children’s Hospital
Action of the Week
Every Monday, we are promoting a new, simple action that each family can take to keep their children safer while social distancing. This week, we want every family to check the fit of their child’s helmet. It’s important that your child’s helmet fits correctly in order to prevent dangerous head injuries. When fitting a child for a helmet, make sure to check the following steps:
The helmet is snug but not tight
It sits level on the head (not tilted back)
It sits low on the forehead (one or two fingers width from the eyebrows to the helmet)
The chin strap is snug, with no more than one finger able to fit between the chin and the strap
For more information on fitting a helmet, check out this resource from NHTSA, the National Highway Traffic Safety Association: https://www.nhtsa.gov/sites/nhtsa.dot.gov/files/8019_fitting-a-helmet.pdf
Coming Up
On Our Calendar May 11-17: Toolkit Outreach Week: Swimming Pool Safety May 18-24: UV Awareness Month, Don’t Fry Day (May 22nd)
Events
Kids In Danger is hosting a “Safe From the Start” webinar on May 7, 2020 (1 - 2 PM CT). Nancy Cowles, KID Executive Director, will be discussing children's product safety, including recalled products, furniture tip-overs, and choking and ingestion hazards. She will also be talking about creating a safe sleep environment for infants. A Q&A session will follow. RSVP for this event here. (Sign up early—seats are limited, and this event was created to accommodate overflow from the April 29 webinar).
Just in time for National Water Safety Month, our swimming pool safety toolkit promotes the "layers of protection" necessary to prevent children from accessing the pool without an adult present. The toolkit contains a customizable press release, newsletter/blog article, photo guidelines, social media posts, a Pinterest board, graphics, and links to additional resources which provide supplementary information. Our campaign is May 11th - 17th, 2020, so if you haven't done so already, please take some time to add swimming pool safety to your social media and outreach plans for that week. You can view the toolkit here: https://www.preventchildinjury.org/toolkits/swimmingpoolsafety
