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Keeping cyclists safe through education and training
This resource guide highlights just a few of the many tools
available for bicycle safety education programs. Other resources are
available on the web, through organizations such as those which
comprise the National Bicycle Safety Network and local government
agencies and businesses.
Bicycle Safety Education Resource Center
The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Resource Center provides
bicycle safety education information for the following groups:
Preschool (under age 5), Beginner (ages 5-8), Young (Ages 9-12),
Teenage (13+), Adult, Senior, Motorists, and Adults Teaching Children.
The Resource Center consists of three parts. The first part is a
database, which you can search for specific training materials for your
intended audience. In addition, you can submit a program for possible
inclusion in the database. The second part is a Database Guide that
identifies the training needs of the eight different audiences
identified above. The third part is a Good Practices Guide that will
guide you through the process of designing your own program.
Resources
FHWA Good Practices Guide for Bicycle Safety Education, Resource
Database, and information on teaching bike safety to kids (ages 1-4,
5-8, 9-12, 13-17), adults, seniors, and motorists.
Contact
www.bicyclinginfo.org
or 919.962.2203. Resource Center: http://www.bicyclinginfo.org/ee/fhwa.html;
Education Center: http://www.bicyclinginfo.org/ee/education.htm.
Bicycling Street Smarts
Bicycling Street Smarts is an updated and revised edition of Street
Smarts, originally published between 1988 and 2000 by Rodale Inc.
This compact booklet describes the nuts and bolts of safe and legal
on-road cycling including lane positioning, navigating intersections,
expert control of brakes and steering, emergency maneuvers, and dealing
with difficult situations. By learning correct on-road riding
techniques and mastering control of the bicycle, any cyclist from
beginner to expert will enjoy increased confidence and safety while
riding any road.
Resources
Bicycling Street Smarts is now available in state-specific editions for
the following states: Arizona (available through ADOT, www.azbikeped.org),
Florida (available through Florida Bicycle Assn, www.floridabicycle.org),
Ohio (available through ODOT, www.dot.state.oh.us/bike), and Pennsylvania
(available through PennDOT, 717-783-8444).
Contact
Rubel BikeMaps, (617) 776-6567, www.bikemaps.com, or info@bikemaps.com. Price varies
with quantity purchased.
Bike Rodeo Kit
To help children learn bicycle safety, the City of Fort Collins
SmartTripsTM Office has developed a detailed "Bike Rodeo
Kit", and is making it available free of charge to local organizations,
schools, service clubs and individuals in the Fort Collins area. If you
are outside of the Fort Collins area, contact the SmartTripsTM
Office to find out how to create your own Bike Rodeo Kit.
This self-contained kit is designed so anyone can easily conduct a
successful bicycle rodeo. It is complete with instructions, diagrams,
visual aids, riding obstacles, information, and other assorted
materials. All materials are placed in a handy container on wheels.
It's easy to use, and the exercises can be adapted for any size group.
Contact
SmartTripsTM Office, 970- 224-6126 or http://www.ci.fort-collins.co.us/bicycling/bike-rodeo.php.
Bike Safe, Bike Smart!
Work with others in your community to promote helmet use. Bike helmets
can reduce the risk of brain injury by 85% and are one of the simplest
and most effective ways to reduce biking injuries in your community.
Provide education through events like bike rodeos, where bikers can
learn basic skills and have fun while they're doing it! Bike rodeos are
an opportunity for cooperation among a variety of community partners,
including schools, youth groups businesses, and safety organizations.
Resources
Bike Safe, Bike Smart! brochure; Bike
Safety, Bike Helmet, and Bike to School Fact Sheets; Bike Rodeo
Planning Guide (sample course, bike inspection checklist, bike
skills test, and nine skills stations) information for parents
(preventing injuries, teaching basic traffic safety to kids and bike
safety for babies and toddlers) and games for kids (bicycle word find,
bike safety quiz, and bike safety tips).
Contact
Minnesota Safety Council, 651-291-9150, msc@mnsafetycouncil.org, or http://www.mnsafetycouncil.org/bicycle/programs/index.htm.
Disney Educational Productions
Resources
Bike Safety with Bill Nye the Science Guy -
Take a ride with Bill Nye the Science Guy and learn about bicycle
safety. But before you start your wheels in motion, remember to put on
your helmet and do the "pre-ride check." From hand signals and rules of
the road to valuable tips from professional cyclists, this is a fun way
to learn about a serious subject. VHS, 1996, 16 minutes, $59.95. Disney
Safety Hits Vol I: Bike Safety with Bill Neye the Science Guy and I'm
No Fool on Wheels Classroom Edition (DVD) - Instill a heads-up
attitude all year long with this new DVD featuring two popular safety
classics. Who better to get kids interested in bike safety basics than
the way cool science guy? Younger children will delight in learning
about safety procedures and the appropriate equipment to use when
skateboarding, bicycling, and roller-skating from the beloved
Pinocchio. Students will learn why it's important to always wear an
approved safety helmet, stay visible to drivers, remain alert and aware
of your surroundings, and most importantly to follow the rules of the
road.
Classroom Edition DVD Features include: scene selection, clips
correlated to activities in the Educator's Guide, printable Educator's
Guide, web link to additional Internet resources. DVD, 2004, 29
minutes, $59.95.
Contact
Disney Educational Products, http://dep.disney.go.com/educational/index
(search on bicycle safety), (800) 295-5010.
Florida Traffic and Bicycle Safety Education
Programs
Their mission is to administer a traffic and bicycle safety education
program through workshops and certificate programs for Florida
elementary and middle school teachers, community volunteers, law
enforcement officers and recreation leaders. Pilot projects, research,
media awareness campaigns and the production of documents and
guidelines are also carried out as part of the program's mission. Their
goal is to reduce injuries to children from bicycle and pedestrian
crashes by providing them with the knowledge and skills needed to be
competent and safe in traffic.
Resources
Curriculum outlines, sample agendas, equipment lists, advertising
flyers, etc., for Safe Ways to School, pre-driver's ed, elementary and
middle school, and community programs.
Contact
Department of Urban & Regional Planning, University of Florida,
352-392-8192 or http://www.dcp.ufl.edu/centers/trafficsafetyed/.
Guide to Bicycle Rodeos
Resources
Written by John Williams and Dan Burden, this comprehensive manual
details the steps to running an effective "Bicycle Rodeo" safety
campaign. Includes information on: balance and safety skills, accident
causes & cures, resources for safety campaigns, examples of
successful projects. Sb. 50p; $5.00.
Contact
Adventure Cycling Association, 800-721-8719, www.adventurecycling.org,
or orders@adventurecycling.org.
How to Not Get Hit by Cars:
Important Lessons on Bicycle Safety
This page shows you real ways you can get hit and real ways to avoid
them. This is a far cry from normal bicycle safety guides, which
usually tell you little more than to wear your helmet and to follow the
law. But consider this for a moment: Wearing a helmet will do
absolutely nothing to prevent you from getting hit by a car! Sure,
helmets might help you if you get hit, and it's a good idea to wear
one, but your #1 goal should be to avoid getting hit in the first
place. Plenty of cyclists are killed by cars even though they were
wearing helmets. Ironically, if they had ridden without helmets, yet
followed the guidelines listed below, they might still be alive today.
Don't confuse wearing a helmet with biking safely. An ounce of
prevention is worth a pound of cure. It's better to not get hit. That's
what real bicycle safety is about.
Resources
Diagrams of ten collision types, accompanied by steps to take to avoid
them. Includes versions for Brits and Aussies, and is translated into
French, Spanish, and Catalan.
Contact
www.bicyclesafe.com
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
(NHTSA) Bicycle Safety Program
Through education, enforcement, outreach and legislation, NHTSA's
bicycle safety program goals are directed toward reducing bicycle
injuries and fatalities. Bicycling is encouraged as an alternate mode
of transportation to motor vehicle travel.
Resources
Fact Sheets: Traffic Safety Facts 2003 -
Pedalcyclists, Traffic Safety Facts 2003 - Children, Bikeability
Checklist 2004, Bicycle Helmet Use Laws - Fact Sheet, National
Strategies for Advancing Bicycle Safety;
Downloadable Brochures: 10 Smart Routes to
Bicycle Safety, Your Bicycle Helmet, What's New about Bicycle Helmets;
Activities and Materials for Kids: Getting to
School Safely: Community Action Activities Guide, "Bike Safe. Bike
Smart" Video (2004), Pedestrian Safety Trail and Bike Tour, Walking and
Biking Safety - Kindergarten to Grade 3, Walking and Biking Safety -
Toddlers and Preschoolers, "Ride Smart: It's Time to Start" Bicycle
Safety Video (2002), and Resource Guides: Bicycle Helmet Use Laws:
Lessons Learned From Selected Sites, Safe Routes to School - Practice
& Promise, Safe Routes to School - Tool Kit, Bicycle Safety
Resource Guide (CD-ROM), Resource Guide on Laws Related to Pedestrian
and Bicycle Safety.
Contact
NHTSA, Paula Bawer, 202-366-2692 or www.nhtsa.dot.gov (click on Traffic Safety,
then Bicycling). To access the Publications Catalog, visit www.nhtsa.gov/people/outreach/media/catalog/Index.cfm
and select "Bicycle Safety" as the topic.
Share the Road
"Share the Road" was a grant-funded program. Funding was provided by
the California Office of Traffic Safety through the Business,
Transportation, & Housing Agency. The program was administered by
the Kern County Superintendent of Schools and managed by Program
Specialist Ron Jones. The funding cycle was from April 2000 to July
2002. Although the program has ended, resources are still available
online. The goals were to reduce bicyclists killed and injured in
traffic collisions; increase helmet compliance for children under 18;
and reduce pedestrians killed or injured in traffic collisions.
Resources
Lesson plans and handouts, fact sheets, templates and suggestions for
bike rodeos, lots of links. Topics include bicycle accidents, bike
skills, bike traffic laws, and helmets. Also has a quiz, a list of
video resources, and pedestrian information.
Contact
http://www.kernsharetheroad.org/.
What to Teach your Children About Bicycle Safety
The Canada Safety Council is a national, non-government, charitable
organization dedicated to safety. Our mission is to lead in the
national effort to reduce preventable deaths, injuries and economic
loss in public and private places throughout Canada. We serve as a
credible, reliable resource for safety information, education and
awareness in all aspects of Canadian life - in traffic, at home, at
work and at leisure.
Resources
Information on what parents should teach their kids, bicycle safety
quiz, injury statistics, helmet information, etc.
Contact
Canada Safety Council, http://www.safety-council.org/info/child/bicycle.htm.
Bicycle Safety for Kids:
Cool & Interactive Sites!
· Bicycle Safety Quiz (Bakersfield's South Valley Bicycle
Coalition On-Line Quiz) - www.southvalley.org/quiz.pdf
· California Office of Traffic Safety Kids Site - www.ots.ca.gov/kids/index.htm
· Consumer Products Safety Commission - www.cpsc.gov/kids/kids.html
· Consumer Products Safety Commission "Kid Safety Site" - www.cpsc.gov/kids/kidsafety/index.html
· Exploratorium's "Science of Cycling" - www.exploratorium.edu/cycling/
· Super Cyclist Project (Texas Dept. of Transportation) - www.supercyclist.org
© 2005 IPMBA. This article appeared in the Summer 2005 issue of
IPMBA News.
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