COLUMBUS, Ohio — May is the month for Bike Helmet Safety Awareness, and Ohio’s children are receiving a welcome boost of protection from the Put A Lid On It! campaign. A collaboration between the Ohio Department of Transportation and the American Academy of Pediatrics – Ohio Chapter, the campaign is distributing nearly 10,000 bicycle helmets to children across the state this spring. Safe Routes to School programs, Safe Communities programs, and partners from nearly 160 law enforcement agencies and community organizations traveled to Columbus to collect their helmet allotment.
Ohio has seen more than 2,000 children under the age of 18 involved in bike accidents with motor vehicles since 2018, with over 200 of these resulting in life-altering injuries or fatalities. Studies indicate that almost three-quarters of all bike-related fatalities could be avoided with a properly fitting helmet.
“The helmet is a vital protective measure,” said Ohio AAP CEO Melissa Wervey Arnold. “It’s important that kids not only wear a helmet but that the helmet is the right size and fitted properly.”
The Put A Lid On It! campaign has been running for 13 years, with the Ohio AAP and ODOT partnership continuing for the eighth year. ODOT Active Transportation Manager Caitlin Harley stated that the campaign aims to “equip our most vulnerable road users who are learning how to ride with everything they might need to be able to continue riding in the future.”
In addition to helmet distribution, ODOT’s Safe Routes to School program supports local governments and school districts with infrastructure enhancements to improve bike and pedestrian safety. Motorists are reminded to drive at a safe speed, look for people biking when turning or changing lanes, and to put the phone away. In Ohio, bikes are considered vehicles, and people on bikes have the same roadway rights and responsibilities as other drivers.