HCEC, Safe Kids Greater Houston Promote Bike Safety at AISD Campuses

Safe Kids Greater Houston and Harris County Emergency Corps (HCEC) joined together to promote bike safety during National Bike Month in May. Students at Houston Academy and Hambrick Middle School learned about bike safety while also having a little fun.

Bike Safety Events at schools help address a need to increase awareness about wearing a helmet. In partnership with Bell Sports, hundreds of communities across the U.S. celebrated National Bike Month. All the events promoted biking as a safe and fun way to travel, while highlighting important bike safety information.

More children ages five to 14 are seen in emergency rooms for injuries related to biking than any other sport. Bike Safety Events bring an important opportunity for students to learn how to safely bike and the proper fit of a helmet.

Students at Houston Academy and Hambrick Middle School learned what “visibility” and “predictability” means when riding a bike on the road. They also learned how to properly signal with their arms while riding and making turns, and how to pass pedestrians and other cyclists on the road. All of the students then participated in a “Bike Rodeo” where they dodged sponges through the obstacle course and then competed in the “Slowest Race Contest.”

“It’s important for bicyclists to wear properly fitted bicycle helmets every time they ride,” said Jeremy Hyde, CEO at Harris County Emergency Corps. “A helmet is the single most effective way to prevent head injury resulting from a bicycle crash. But many children still do not wear them. We have a simple saying, ‘Use your head. Wear a helmet.’”

[icons icon_name=”icon-external-link” icon_size=”14px”]Safe Kids Greater Houston and [icons icon_name=”icon-external-link” icon_size=”14px”]Harris County Emergency Corps remind families to follow these tips when biking:

[ul class=”list list-arrow_blue”] [li]Tell your kids to ride on the right side of the road, with traffic, not against it.  Stay to as far to the right as possible. Use appropriate hand signals and respect traffic signals. Stop at all stop signs and stoplights.[/li] [li] Teach your kids to make eye contact with drivers to make sure drivers are paying attention and are going to stop before they cross the street. [/li][/ul] [ul class=”list list-arrow_blue”] [li]When your kids are riding at dusk, dawn or in the evening, make sure they use lights – and make sure their bikes have reflectors as well. It’s also smart to have them wear clothes and accessories that have retro-reflective materials to improve visibility to motorists.[/li] [li] Actively supervise children until you’re comfortable that they are responsible to ride on their own.[/li][/ul]

A grant from [icons icon_name=”icon-external-link” icon_size=”14px”]Safe Kids Worldwide made the events at both AISD campuses possible.

Below are additional images from the Bike Safety Events at the campuses.