Bicycle and In-Line Skating Safety for the New Millennium Ÿ
             BICYCLE SAFETY: LET'S MAKE IT A PRIORITY!
             Did you know that each year over 1,200 people die and thousands more are seriously injured in bicycle accidents? According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, more than 500,000 emergency room visits annually in the U.S. are attributed to bicycle accidents.
             Surprisingly, most of these accidents, especially those involving children, occur on quiet residential streets. Most do not involve cars. And many could be prevented with proper training and safety equipment.
             Think about it. Before we're allowed to drive a car, we have to be a certain age and go through extensive training and testing. Yet many of us-children in particular-ride the very same roads on a bicycle with little or no training at all. Kids are especially vulnerable because of their undeveloped peripheral vision (about two-thirds that of adults), poor speed judgment, and lack of a sense of danger.
             At Ride Safe, we believe bicycle safety education is crucial to our well-being and to that of our children. More and more states, including New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Georgia, Tennessee, Oregon, and California, are implementing legislation requiring bicycle helmets for children. As adults, we can teach our children safe riding habits, protect them from injury by purchasing bicycle helmets, and set a good example when we are riding our own bicycles.
             The bottom line? Bicycle safety is something we all need to make a priority!
             ------------------------------------------------------------------------
             ...