Gearing Up For Bike Safety (NAPSA)—Biking is a fun form of transportation and exercise, but few people stop to consider the dangers involved. Every year, nearly 500 children under the age of 15 die in bicycle accidents involving a car. Most of these deaths are due to the biker’s behavior—riding into the street without stopping, running a stop sign or riding against the flow of traffic, according to the Nemours Foundation. These statistics are alarming, but parents and teachers can help protect children by teaching them bicycle safety. Saving a life can be as simple as following a few rules of the road including wearing helmets, obeying traffic signs, riding in the same direction as cars and using hand signals. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found 75 percent of child deaths are due to head injuries. By using helmets, these injuries can be reduced by as much as 85 percent. To help teach children the importance of bike safety, Lee Jeans, Team Haro’s title sponsor, has partnered with Ryan Nyquist, professional bike stunt rider for Team Haro/Lee Pipes, to create the Lee Pipes Get in Gear bike safety program. Get in Gear, starring Nyquist, is an educational program designed to teach kids bike safety in a fun and educational way. This program provides materials to help teachers and parents convey life- saving messages to their students and children. “Biking has been an impor- tant part of my life ever since I was little kid,” said Nyquist. “Young people really don’t understand how dangerous it can be if Safety Rules For Riding ]. Wear a helmet. 2. Use handsignals. 3. Obeytraffic signs and laws. 4. Ride on the right, with the flow oftraffic. 5. Ride single file when riding with friends. 6. Warn others when passing. 7. Never weave throughtraffic. 8. Stay alert for unexpected situations. 9. Let someone know whereyou are going. 10. Ride defensively. Assume cars cannot see YOU. you don’t protect yourself, and it’s up to parents and teachers to help educate kids and keep them safe.” Hundreds of schools nationwide are using the Get in Gear program, which includes a bike safety video and teacher/student interactive materials. A Website, www.leepipes.com/GetinGear, is dedicated to providing important bike safety information to parents and teachers, as well as fun games and quizzes for kids. “We were alarmed by the bike injury statistics,” said Nancy McDonald, manager of marketing communications for Lee. “Many of our consumers are moms and kids, and wefelt we could effectively use the power of the Lee brand and the expertise of Haro Bikes to address bike safety in a creative and educational way.” Lee Jeans and Haro Bikes encourage everyone to Get in Gear and always practice bike safety. For more bicycle safety tips and information on the program, log onto www.leepipes.com/GetinGear.
