Date: April 30, 2012
For more information:
Scott Coppenbarger
OU Medical Center/
The Children’s Hospital at OU Medical Center
(405) 271-7900 X4
Cell: (405) 593-5289
scott.coppenbarger@hcahealthcare.com
HELMETS AND HEROES PROGRAM TO REWARD SAFE BICYCLISTS
KICKOFF SET FOR TUESDAY, MAY 1
OKLAHOMA CITY— The Trauma One Center at OU Medical Center is partnering with area police departments and businesses to promote bicycle safety and the use of helmets to reduce the severity of accidents and injuries. During the summer-long program called Helmets & Heroes, area police officers will be handing out rewards “tickets” to bicycle riders they observe wearing helmets. The program will mainly target kids on bicycles. The 2012 program will officially kick off on Tuesday, May 1, 2012 during an activity-filled launch from 3 to 4 p.m. Events will include bike safety and education, free helmets and fitting, and the McDonald’s sampling truck. The celebration takes place in the parking lot of the Children’s Atrium, adjacent to The Children’s Hospital at OU Medical Center.
In 2011, 60 patients were seen in the Trauma One Center at OU Medical Center for injuries associated with bicycle riding. Of these patients, only six were wearing helmets. Their injuries ranged from minor to severe. The injured included riders from three to 73 years old, but most of the accidents involve kids seven to 15 years old.
The Trauma One Center is partnering with the Metro Area Traffic Safety Committee (MATSC), Kohl’s Cares, News 9, McDonald’s and Choctaw Kiwanis Club to sponsor and promote the safety program.
Beginning May 1 and extending through Labor Day, officers from the MATSC police departments will be handing out “tickets” to bicycle riders wearing a helmet. The tickets congratulate the rider for wearing a helmet and are redeemable for a free ice cream cone at any area McDonald’s store. In addition, by using the web address printed on the ticket, the rider can go online and register for a drawing for one of four bicycles.
For more information on Helmets & Heroes, visit our website at www.oumedicine.com/helmets.
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Bicycle Safety Tips
Get a helmet.
Today, helmets are less expensive and more comfortably made. When worn, helmets cut the risk of severe brain damage by 88%. Bicycles are tied to more childhood injuries than any other consumer product except the automobile.
Here are helmet and bicycle safety tips:
- Always wear a helmet on every ride.
- Buy a bike that fits. Check it regularly to make sure it’s safe.
- Make sure drivers will be able to see you.
- Always demonstrate safe behavior and obey all traffic laws.
- Ride right: Bikes travel with traffic, not against it, so ride on the right side of the road.
- Use appropriate hand signals when turning.
- Stop and look both ways before crossing a street.
- Look back before turning left.
- If traffic is coming, be patient and let it go first.
- Watch for uneven surfaces while riding (potholes, cracks, rocks, railroad tracks, storm gates) and steer around them.
- Children should never bicycle in the dark or in fog.
- Until age 10, children should only bike on sidewalks and paths.
Helmet Fit Test
Eyes: Position the helmet on your head. Look up. You should see the bottom rim of the helmet.
Mouth: Open your mouth as wide as you can. Does the helmet hug your head? If not, tighten the straps.
Ears: Make sure the straps form a ‘V’ under your ears. When buckled, the straps should be snug but comfortable.
OU MEDICAL CENTER
OU Medical Center, including The Children's Hospital at OU Medical Center is Oklahoma's largest and most comprehensive hospital. It is located in the heart of Oklahoma City. We provide a full range of hospital services for every patient, from the smallest neonate to the most critically ill senior.
THE CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL AT OU MEDICAL CENTER
The Children’s Hospital at OU Medical Center is the only comprehensive children's hospital in Oklahoma where physicians and medical personnel are equipped with child-specific instruments and equipment and focus their practices solely on the care of children. Parents rely on this depth of medical skill, experience and sensitivity to children's emotional needs.