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PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION
In Georgia, during
1996, 15 people were killed in motor vehicle crashes while riding
a bicycle. Not one of the victims was wearing a bicycle helmet.
Further, of the 1,173 motor vehicle crashes involving bicycles,
935 (80 percent) resulted in injury—only 30 percent of all
motor vehicle crashes resulted in injury. Fatalities occurred
in 1.3 percent of bicycle crashes, compared with only 0.5 percent
fatal crashes, overall. Nearly double the national rate, approximately
two-thirds of bicyclists killed in traffic crashes in Georgia
were between 5 and 15 years old.
GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
The goal of the
Ride Like A Pro training event was to reduce crash-related bicycle
fatalities and injuries suffered by Georgia youth. Objectives
of the event included:
- Increasing bicycle
safety awareness and skills
- Conducting a bicycle
safety training event for youth
- Cultivating media
interest in promoting bicycle safety
STRATEGIES AND ACTIVITIES
On Saturday, October
31, 1998, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
(NHTSA) Region 4 office and the Georgia Governor's Office of
Highway Safety sponsored a Ride Like a Pro bicycle safety event,
for 85 fourth and fifth grade students, at the Georgia Dome in
Atlanta. The event was conducted prior to Sunday's Atlanta Falcons
vs. St. Louis Rams football game, and was modeled after the National
Highway Traffic Safety Administration's (NHTSA) Ride Like
A Pro training course conducted in previous Super Bowl events.
The event featured several activities:
- The students, selected
from Fulton County and Clayton County schools, learned bicycle
safety skills from representatives of the Optimist International,
the bicycle police patrol of the Federal Protection service,
the Georgia World Congress Center, and the Metropolitan Atlanta
Rapid Transit Authority
- Optimist International
donated bicycles to 25 needy children, and all children were
correctly fitted by the Fulton County Health Department and Safe
Kids with free helmets donated by a Miami, Florida import/export
company
- An Atlanta Falcon
football player provided encouragement and assistance to the
children
- TEAM Georgia, a
network of sports and business groups, provided and packaged
safety literature for the children
- The Georgia Dome
provided a parking lot for the training site, traffic cones,
tables, drinks, cups and trash containers. The Georgia Dome also
waived its customary fee for use of the parking lot
- U.S. Department
of Transportation staff guided children to safety stations for
information on occupant protection, pedestrian and school bus
safety, and fire safety
- Personnel from
NHTSA taught occupant protection lessons and the Fulton County
Health Department taught pedestrian and school bus safety
- The Fulton County
Fire Department provided two fire trucks and taught fire safety
- "Trick or
Treat" gift bags with candy were provided by a local grocery
store and a national pizza chain distributed pizza coupons for
children pledging to always buckle up
- All children were
presented with Ride Like A Pro t-shirts printed with sponsor
logos and a safety message
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