More than 9,000 bike helmets will be handed out for free this year thanks to a safety program called "Put a Lid On It" from ODOT and the American Academy of Pediatrics.
ODOT workers started distributing the helmets Tuesday morning. Active Transportation Manager Cait Harley says bike helmets are just one thing to reduce fatalities.
"We're really excited to provide some tools to help our young kids, people who are learning how to bike, getting out in their communities to be safe, and we are also interested in providing education to motorists as well."
Harley says many of the helmets are for kids, because 12 percent of bicycle-related fatalities in the last five years were children.
"Over the past decade we have seen an increase in bike fatalities—about 200 people in the past 10 years have been killed on bikes while navigating our roadways, and we're seeing that number rise," she says.
Helmets are going out to different agencies and programs around the state. Local participants include:
- Children's Hospital
- Cincinnati Police
- Clermont County Public Health
- Dayton Aviation Heritage Park
- Dayton Public Schools
- Forest Park Fire
- Great Parks of Hamilton County
- Miami Township Police
- Seven Hills Neighborhood Houses
- Springdale Elementary
- Springdale Police Department
- Wyoming Police
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