 |
NEWS RELEASE CONTACT:
John Pecchio, manager, AAA Traffic Safety, |
AAA REMINDS PARENTS
New Bicycles are a Popular Gift for the Holidays and Parents Should Purchase a New Helmet
TAMPA, Fla. (Dec. 29, 2011) — Bicycles are a popular holiday gift for children, however many parents may forget or overlook purchasing a safety helmet to accompany a new bike. AAA reminds parents to abide by state laws in Florida, Georgia, and Tennessee that require children under the age of 16 to wear a helmet, at all times, when riding a bicycle. Bicycles are a legitimate form of transportation and bicyclists are considered legal drivers of vehicles, with laws and regulations established for their use.
Bicycle riders under the age of 16 accounted for 13 percent of bicyclist’s deaths and 20 percent of injuries involved in traffic crashes in 2009, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. A helmet is the single most effective way to prevent head injury resulting from a bicycle crash. When worn properly, helmets are up to 85 percent effective in protecting the head and brain in the event of a crash.
“Awareness of traffic safety laws is imperative for all road users of any age to ensure pedestrians, bike riders and motorists are as safe as possible,” said John Pecchio, AAA’s Traffic Safety Manager, The Auto Club Group. “Although we’re moving in the right direction in terms of reducing the number of bicycle deaths and injuries, we’ve still got a long way to go. Bicycles are an exciting gift for children to receive and AAA wants to make sure parents are aware of the bicycle safety laws in their respective state.”
AAA Recommends these Four Easy Steps to Keep Bicyclists of all Ages Safe:
- Make sure helmets properly fit your child’s head. Helmets should be level on the head and low on the forehead, with no more than two finger widths above the eyebrows.
- Discuss bicycle traffic laws with children. Bicycles are considered vehicles and must abide by the same traffic laws as motorists. Talk to children about different traffic signs, to always ride in the same direction as traffic, while keeping to the right side of the lane.
- Be sure your child is as visible as possible. Make children visible by putting retro-reflective tape or markings on both the bike and helmet. Use white front lights and red rear reflectors.
- Avoid letting children ride at night. It is far more dangerous for children to ride at night than during the day since they are harder to see. If a child has to ride a bike at night, be sure they are as visible as possible.
For more information on bicycle safety, visit AAA.com/SafetyMatters.
The Auto Club Group (ACG) is the second largest AAA club in North America. ACG and its affiliates provide membership, travel, insurance and financial services offerings to approximately 8.5 million members across 11 states and two U.S. territories including Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Michigan, Nebraska, North Dakota, Wisconsin, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands; most of Illinois, Minnesota and Tennessee; and a portion of Indiana. ACG belongs to the national AAA federation with nearly 53 million members in the United States and Canada and whose mission includes protecting and advancing freedom of mobility and improving traffic safety.
AAA Auto Club South, 1515 N West Shore Blvd, Tampa, FL 33607-4505 United States