School Bicycle Helmet Usage Study

State law requires elementary and middle school students commuting to and from school by bicycle to wear an approved safety helmet. Law enforcement agencies in Brevard however have been reluctant to issue citations to offending bicyclists The Brevard Community Traffic Safety Team (CTST) in collaboration with law enforcement agencies in Brevard County is therefore currently pursuing the “Wear It or Walk It” program. Under this program bicycle safety helmets will be provided to non-compliant students free of charge, upon request. As a result law enforcement personnel will then require offending bicyclists to walk their bicycles to and from their destinations, and will notify the school. This report presents an evaluation of current bicycle safety helmet usage by elementary school students in Palm Bay, Florida, prior to the commencement of the “Wear It or Walk It” program. Data was collected and statistical analyses performed to establish current trends. The analysis shows considerable variation in helmet usage from one school to another. The majority of the schools showed 30 – 35% compliance. Only one school, Discovery Elementary, showed helmet usage among bicyclists in excess of 50%. It is concluded that bicycle helmet usage in Palm Bay is too low, and it is recommended that the City participate in the “Wear It or Walk It” program to increase helmet usage and improve bicycle safety.

Click on "Report" to take you to the report itself.

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