motorcyclist rounding corner on a country road at night
Traffic Safety Digest
VIRGINIA
Virginia Bicycling and Pedestrian Curriculum

PROJECT CHARACTERISTICS
Innovative Partnership
PROGRAM AREA(S)
Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety
TYPE OF JURISDICTION
State
 
TARGETED POPULATION
Students (K-12)
JURISDICTION SIZE
Any School


PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION

In 1999, 750 bicyclists were killed and approximately 51,000 were injured in traffic-related crashes across the nation. Children under the age of 14 accounted for 193 (26 percent) of the fatalities, making this one of the most frequent causes of injury-related death for young children. Studies indicate that bicycle helmets are 85 to 88 percent effective in mitigating head and brain injuries, making the use of helmets the single most effective way to reduce head injuries and fatalities resulting from bicycle crashes. Despite the fact that 70 to 80 percent of all fatal bicycle crashes involve head injuries, only about 20 to 25 percent of all bicyclists use bicycle helmets.

There were 4,906 pedestrians killed in traffic crashes in the United States in 1999. On average, a pedestrian is killed in a traffic crash every 107 minutes. Furthermore, there were 85,000 pedestrians injured in traffic crashes in 1999. On average, a pedestrian is injured in a traffic crash every six minutes.

Virginia has no comprehensive, school-based K-12 bike and pedestrian education program. Teachers are currently teaching bike and pedestrian laws and skills using a variety of materials that are available to them. However, this ad hoc approach lacks consistency in theory, concepts, and integration across grades and does not provide a means of certification.

GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

To create a Virginia Bike Education Certification process and provide appropriate bike and pedestrian curricula material to teachers by:

  • Developing a statewide biking and walking education curricula for grades K-12

  • Piloting the program in selected schools

  • Creating a sustainable, locally-driven program that involves the entire community

  • Implementing this integrated program in as many schools as possible throughout the state

STRATEGIES AND ACTIVITIES

During the summer break, the instructor certification process began at a Teachers’ Summer Institute that was sponsored by the Virginia Department’s of Education, Transportation, Health, and Motor Vehicles, Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), and led by BikeWalk Virginia (a non-profit organization). After researching a number of bike programs, a curriculum that is based on the League of American Bicyclist’s Effective Cycling Program Road I was selected.

There are three levels of certification for this program:

  • Bike Smart Virginia Bike Education Certificate. After completing the Effective Cycling Program Road I, attendees are able to teach bike education in the schools.

  • Bike Smart Virginia Regional Trainer. Upon completion of the three day training with teachers and police officers, attendees will be able to teach the Bike Smart Virginia Road I bike education program to students and the general public.

  • Bike Smart Virginia Instructor. These instructors will be able to teach students and members of the general public to become instructors.

RESULTS

Nineteen participants received the Bike Smart Virginia Bike Education Certificate. The Basics of Bicycling curriculum, which is targeted to 4th and 5th graders, was given to each graduate of the summer program. In addition, curricula from California, Minnesota, and Washington State were given to teachers at the higher-grade levels. Fifteen participants, who were trained to become Bike Smart Virginia Regional Trainers, will be asked to train at least 20 new Bike Smart Virginia teachers in the next year. If successful, Virginia will have 300 certified Bike Smart Virginia teachers by the following September to start the school year.

Grant funds were used to purchase curricular materials. Additional grant funds will help school-based programs purchase additional material for maintaining the bikes they have acquired on their own.

 

FUNDING
Section 402: $25,000
CONTACT
Allen Turnbull
BikeWalk Virginia
PO Box 556
Williamsburg, VA 23187
(757) 229-7969

Heather Sitterding
Virginia Health Dept.
PO Box 2448
1500 E. Main St.
Rm. 105
Richmond, VA 23218
(804) 371-2434



National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

   FALL 2001      

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