Good Practices Guide

For Bicycle Safety Education

FHWA-SA-02-001

HSA-4/30-02 (5M)QE
Disclaimer

This document is disseminated under the sponsorship of the

Department of Transportation in the interest of information exchange.

The United Stated Government assumes no liability for its contents or

use thereof. The contents of this document do not constitute a standard, specification, or regulation.

The United States Government does not endorse products or manufacturers. Trade and manufacturers' names may appear in this document

only because they are considered essential to the object of the

document.

Publication number: FHWA-SA-02-001

HSA-4/30-02 (5M)QE
i

Background and Purpose 1

Structure of the Good Practices Guide 1

Case Studies 2

Interview Method 2

Case Studies Quick Reference 4

Elementary, Middle, and/or High SchoolAge Programs 7

Adult Programs 32

Train-the-Trainer Programs 34

Planning Your Program 52

Funding Your Program 53

Sample Funding Sources 54

Tips for Finding and Preparing Grants 54

Bicycle Safety Education in Public Schools 56

Developing Partnerships 58

Alternative Venues and Subjects 60

Off-Campus Programs 60

Progressive Bicycle Education Programs 60

Evaluation Methods 62

Evaluation of Students’ Knowledge and 

Skills Retention 62

Program Evaluation 62

Publicity 63

Conclusion 64

Table of Contents
1

Background and Purpose

In 1998, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) convened a steering group of bicycle safety experts and developed the National Bicycle

Safety Education Curriculum. This Curriculum lists several bicycle safety

education topics and target audiences – cyclists of different ages and

abilities, as well as motorists. A Resource Catalog was developed which

identifies and describes bicycle safety education programs that address

these curriculum topics and target audiences. This Resource Catalog

has been converted to a searchable, online database that is available at

the following internet address: www.bicyclinginfo.org/ee/fhwa.html .

The FHWA has determined that good practices can be drawn from

some of the educational resources identified in the resource

catalog/database. The FHWA conducted in-depth interviews with bicycle safety educators, developed case studies, and summarized the

results as good practices. The Good Practices Guide will be useful to

those who plan to develop bicycle safety education programs, as well

as those who are looking for the ideal existing bicycle safety program

to use in their community.

The purpose of the Good Practices Guide is to serve as an informational

resource for educators and other interested professionals in planning

and developing bicycle safety education programs. The Guide examines 15 existing bicycle safety education programs in the United States

and one from Canada.

The FHWA would like to acknowledge the assistance of the National

Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in the development of

this document. FHWA and NHTSA developed a formal partnership in

1998 to produce and oversee implementation of an intermodal plan to

improve pedestrian and bicyclist safety, promote bicycling and walking

as alternative modes of transportation, and support ongoing livability

initiatives.

Structure of the Good Practices Guide

The Good Practices Guide consists of three primary sections: Case

Studies, Good Practices, and Conclusion.

• Case Studies – This section includes a brief introduction that 

describes the selection of case studies, the interview method,

a case studies quick reference, and the case studies. The case 

studies provide specific examples of how educators have 

developed bicycle safety programs.
2

• Planning Your Program – This section describes lessons that 

can be learned from the bicycle safety education programs 

surveyed and provides a holistic view of the different strategies 

and issues that should be considered while developing a bicycle safety education program. The section is organized into six 

topic areas:

• Funding Your Program

• Bicycle Safety Education and Public Schools

• Developing Partnerships

• Alternative Venues and Subjects

• Evaluation Methods

• Publicity

• Conclusion – This section summarizes the major issues that 

should be considered when developing a bicycle safety education course.

Case Studies

A list of bicycle safety program sponsors was identified as potential

interviewees. This list was developed with the assistance of FHWA,

NHTSA, the League of American Bicyclists, and individual bicycle safety

experts. Program sponsors were then contacted and interviewed

using a pre-established set of questions. Sixteen interviews were

developed into case studies.

Interview Method

During the interviews, various bicycle-related topics were emphasized.

However, all interviews included the following questions:

• What is the program title?

• What is the target audience? 

• When did the program begin?

• What is the time duration of instruction?

• What are the learning topics?

• What is the method of instruction?

• What learning materials or resources are provided to the 

participants?
3

• Are there evaluation methods? What are they?

• What is the funding method of the program?

• What are the elements of the program that make it

successful?

• What are the elements of the program that prove 

challenging?

• What recruiting or publicity methods are used for the 

program? 

Sixteen case studies of bicycle safety programs are organized under

the following three headings:

• Elementary, Middle, and/or High School Age Programs

• Adult Programs

• Train-the-Trainer Programs

See the following two pages for quick reference to the sixteen bicycle

safety program case studies in this Good Practices Guide for Bicycle

Safety Education.
4

Elementary, Middle, and/or High School Age Programs

One week (five 45-minute

sessions) on-bike program

for fourth grade students

One-hour classroom presentation for third through

fifth grade students

45-minute classroom presentation for kindergarten

through fifth grade

students

Seven- to ten-hour on-bike

program for fourth

through seventh grade

students

Two-hour classroom/onbike program for elementary school-age children

Eight 90 minute on-bike

sessions for middle schoolage children

Two-hour classroom/onbike program for elementary, middle school, and

high school-age students

18 hours working in program bicycle shop, six

hours working on own

bicycle, and 20 hours of

safety instruction (ten

weeks, two hours per

week) for upper-elementary-age through high

school-age youths

Flexible ten-week program

(two one-hour sessions

per week) for elementary

through high school-age

students

Program Title Description Page

7

9

12

15

17

19

22

26

29

BikEd Hawaii

Bicycle Safety

Education Program

(BSE)

BIPED

Bicycle Safety and

Awareness Program

Kids on Bikes

After School Bike Club

Bike Lesson and Safety

Training Program

(BLAST) 

Earn a Bike 

and Ride Club

Sprockids

Case Studies Quick Reference
5

Adult Programs

20 hours (five four-hour

sessions) on-bike program

for adults (primarily) and

teenagers

Program Title Description Page

Effective Cycling/Road I 32
6

Train-the-Trainer Programs

One-day workshop

instructing bicycle safety

for teachers of fourth and

fifth grades

One- to two-day workshops for school teachers

and community trainers to

serve as instructors for

grades K-2, grades 3-5,

grades 6-8, and driver’s

education students

90-minute program for

teachers of primary, elementary, and middle

school children

Two-day workshop for law

enforcement officers,

teachers, and other community volunteers who

teach bicycle safety to

children of any age

One-day workshop for

bicycle safety instructors,

including police officers,

school teachers and others

who instruct elementary

and middle school

students

Two-day workshop for

teachers, police officers,

fire department staff, and

other professionals who

teach bicycle and pedestrian safety to children

grades K-5

Program Title Description Page

Texas SuperCyclist 34

Project

(Instructor Training)

38

41

44

47

50

Florida Traffic and 

Bicycle Safety 

Education Program

Helmet Your Brain –

Avoid the Pain© Helmet

Education Program

Nevada Elementary

Traffic Safety Program

Instructor Course

Teaching Safe Bicycling

(TSB)

Home to School Safe

Travel for Children

(Train-the-Trainer)
7

Elementary, Middle, and/or High School Age-Programs

Program title: BikeEd Hawaii

Organization: Hawaii Bicycling League (HBL)

Contact: Andie Watt, Program Director

Contact information: 808-735-5756, bicycle@pixi.com

Web site: www.hbl.org

Program start date: 1989

Target audience: Fourth grade students

Program length: One week (five 45-minute sessions)

Program summary:

BikeEd Hawaii is a one-week course consisting of five 45-minute sessions taught to fourth graders in elementary schools by instructors

from the Hawaii Bicycling League. Seven to ten students are matched

with each instructor. The program is free to schools and students.

Bicycles and helmets are loaned to students for the course.

The first session takes place in the school playground or parking lot. It

includes a bicycle check which determines if the tires, handlebars, seat,

and brakes are functional and safe. It also includes a student group

ride with stopping, starting, and turning drills. These drills help determine which children may not operate a bicycle safely in a group and

are therefore ineligible to go on street rides. Such students may later

be determined fit to participate in street rides during later sessions, or

they may continue with the course on school grounds.

In the second and third sessions, the eligible students go on the road

while the remaining students stay on school grounds. They learn and

practice five biking skills:

• Driveway exit (entering traffic)

• Left and right turns

• Stop sign behavior

• U - turns

• Lane positioning

The fourth session is an on-road review of the five skills learned during

the second and third sessions. The fifth session is a road test in which

each student must demonstrate the five learned skills.
8

These lessons are based on the Effective Cycling/ Road I course available

from the League of American Bicyclists (www.bikeleague.org).

Evaluation:

There is a written pre-test and post-test consisting of the same 20

questions. Generally, the student’s post-test score improves an average

of 15 percent over the pre-test score.

Funding:

Funding comes from a variety of sources. Startup funds for one year

were provided in 1989 from Section 402 Traffic Safety Funds from the

U.S. Department of Transportation through the Hawaii State DOT. To

sustain the program after that, funding has been provided annually

from the City and County of Honolulu. This support requires an annual

written report of program results that includes the number of students

reached, evaluation results, and a narrative summary program assessment. In addition to the grant funding, revenue from city bicycle

licensing fees is contributed to the program.

Publicity:

Initially, schools were individually contacted but popularity of the program spread by word of mouth. This popularity has led to a busy program schedule, and schools must now make reservations about one

year in advance.

Successes:

The program has been enthusiastically received by most schools and

students. Student attendance rates are generally highest in a school

during its BikeEd week. When students have success in BikeEd, their

enthusiasm appears to carry over into other school topics. During the

last two school years (1999-2000 and 2000-2001), two teams were

teaching in the schools. This allowed 8,000 students to be reached

each year. In previous years, only one team taught the program, resulting in 4,000 students reached per year.

Instructors who are experienced cyclists are often the most effective

because they bring with them enthusiasm for bicycling. Also, instructors who communicate well with children often are successful because

they are able to maintain the students’ attention.

Challenges:

Bicycle rodeos previously conducted by the HBL were found not to be

as effective as on-road activities. Bicycle-handling skills learned at the

rodeos did not transfer to on-road behavior as readily as the skills

learned in the BikeEd program.

Instructors who

are experienced 

cyclists are 

often the most 

effective 

because they 

bring with them 

enthusiasm for 

bicycling.
9

Program title: Bicycle Safety Education Program (BSE)

Organization: Bicycle Coalition of Maine (BCM)

Contact: Jeff Miller, Program Director

Contact information: 207- 623-4511, bcm@BikeMaine.org

Web site: www.BikeMaine.org

Program start date: 2000

Target audience: Third through fifth grade students

Program length: One-hour presentation

Program summary:

In the Spring of 2000, the Maine Department of Transportation began

funding the Bicycle Safety Education Program (BSE), which is taught in

elementary schools. During the 2000-2001 school year, over 15,000

fourth and fifth graders participated in bicycle safety classes at 108

schools statewide.

The program consists of a 45-minute to one-hour classroom presentation by an adult instructor trained by BCM’s Bicycle Safety Instructor program. The instructor is equipped with a bicycle, helmet, and other safety props, and begins the presentation by asking questions like "What

do you like about biking?" "Can you be hurt by biking?" and "Do you

know all the rules for safely riding a bicycle?" The instructor proceeds

to discuss the following four main topics:

• Correct bicycle helmet fit using the "Eyes, Ears, Mouth 

Test"

• Dressing for safety

• How to do the "ABC Quick Check" on your bicycle

• Rules, laws, and safe bicycle driving tips

Instructors try to put a positive spin on biking, stressing that its benefits

far outweigh its risks. Instructors use cue cards developed for the BSE.

The students are also given the following handouts:

• Attractive small color poster, "Be a Safe Bike Driver," reinforcing the classroom presentation with tips on how to 

practice with their parents

• Copy of A to Z by Bike – a 30-page illustrated book covering all aspects of bicycle safety

• Share the Road brochure for parents with safety tips for 

both bicyclists and motorists
10

• Bright yellow "Share the Road" bicycle/helmet sticker 

• Other BCM and AAA bicycle safety publications

Follow-up activities are also encouraged to increase retention of the

safety lessons taught. Each school has a designated School Bicycle

Safety Coordinator with whom instructors spend about a half hour of

one-on-one time. Instructors discuss how discounted helmets can be

ordered through the Maine Coalition for Safe Children. They provide

instructions on proper helmet fitting as

well as additional resources such as a

bicycle events calendar and bicycle-related classroom activity suggestions that

could be used in other curriculum topics.

Suggestions for follow-up activities

include a poster drawing, science fair projects, and writing assignments relating to

bicycling.

Evaluation:

School teachers and administrators complete evaluation feedback forms that

describe the clarity of the lessons, how

successful the learning appeared to be,

and general reactions to the class.

Funding:

Funding is provided by a Federal Department of Transportation Section

402 grant through Maine’s Department of Transportation.

Membership dues in the Bicycle Coalition of Maine also help pay for

the programs, including the BSE.

Sufficient funding in future years for the program is not assured.

Therefore, the Bicycle Coalition of Maine is training school physical education teachers (who are receiving professional development credit).

These physical education teachers will then have the option of teaching the BSE program in their own classes.

Publicity:

Information about the BSE program is spread through teacher and

school newsletters, as well as the BCM Web site. Schools must contact

a State Department of Transportation coordinator to schedule a time

for a BSE instructor visit. Public service announcements on television

also publicize the various programs and events of the Bicycle Coalition

of Maine.

Proper helmet fitting is a critical skill.
11

In addition, the BSE program is announced in the e-mail newsletters

and quarterly publication of the Bicycle Coalition of Maine, which are

sent to its members. Membership information is included in the children’s take-home materials from a BSE class. Many parents whose children attended the BSE class have joined the Coalition as a direct result

of membership information material the children took home.

Membership in the Coalition has recently expanded greatly.

Successes:

During the 2000-2001 school year, 108 elementary schools and over

15,000 students were reached by the BSE program.

The "Be a Safe Bike Driver" poster handout that focuses on five safety

practices is very attractive and well received by the students. The students also generally respond enthusiastically to instructors who are

devoted cyclists and bring their own bicycles to the classes.

Challenges:

Because of the number of students that must be taught, as well as

logistical and resource limitations, there are no on-bike activities in the

program.

It has been discovered that stressing the dangers of biking may motivate children to ride bicycles more safely, but it should be balanced

with a positive approach that focuses on the benefits of biking.
12

Program title: BIPED

Organization: White Clay Bicycle Club,

Wilmington, Delaware

Contact: Don Carbaugh, Program Director

Contact information: 302-529-7929, dcarbaugh@home.com

Program start date: 1988

Target audience: Kindergarten through fifth grade students

Program length: 45 minutes

Program summary:

The White Clay Bicycle Club developed BIPED in collaboration with the

4-H Cooperative Extension Service (CES), a 4-H organization that is part

of the University of Delaware’s Department of Agriculture. 4-H CES

acquired funding for the development of the program from a variety of

private sources and also handles the publicity and scheduling logistics

of the classroom presentations within elementary schools throughout

the state of Delaware.

BIPED is a one-hour classroom presentation given by volunteer instructors, most of whom are certified by the League of American Bicyclists

Instructor Certification program. The White Clay Bicycle Club provides

the instructors with a teaching kit that includes an outline, a videotape,

and handout print materials. The program is brief and is strictly classroom based, but it serves as an introduction to the basics of bicycle

safety principles.

The instructor wears bicycle clothing and a helmet and brings his or

her bicycle. This generally impresses upon the children that the

instructor is an expert and also helps elicit questions about the bicycle

and biking. Answers are usually related to bicycle safety.

The concept of“driving” a bicycle as opposed to “riding” one is discussed. It’s stressed that a bicycle is a vehicle, not a toy, and that driving a bicycle carries the same responsibility as driving a car. The videotape Bicycle Safety Camp, is shown and discussed.

Ten safe bicycling tips are discussed:

• Always ride on the right side of the road

• Wear a helmet every time you ride

• Obey all traffic laws – stop for all STOP signs and traffic

signals

• Signal when making a turn

• Be seen, wear bright clothes, and get a bright helmet

“Driving” a bicycle as opposed

to “riding” one

is discussed. It’s

stressed that a 

bicycle is a vehicle, not a toy,

and that driving

a bicycle carries

the same 

responsibility as 

driving a car.
13

• Don’t ride too close to parked cars and watch for opening 

vehicle doors

• Stop at the end of the driveway

• Don’t clown around

• Yield the right-of-way and call to other riders when 

approaching or passing

• Be predictable: no surprises to other bicycles or cars

Wearing helmets and wearing them correctly is a key focus in this program. Questions and answers are used to illustrate the importance of

helmet use. For example: "What are delicate things like computers and

TVs packaged in for protection?" (styrofoam) "What is a bicycle helmet

made of?" "How many of you have a helmet?" "How many of you wear

your helmet?" "What other professional athletes use helmets?" (baseball, football, hockey, auto racing, etc.).

The instructor emphasizes that bicycle helmets reduce the risk of head

injuries by 85 percent and head injuries don’t heal like broken bones.

The various features on a helmet are shown. Helmet fitting is demonstrated: chin strap always fastened and adjusted (one finger between

chin and strap), snug (proper sizing pads), and level on head (one or

two finger widths between brow and helmet).

The class talks about how to handle peer pressure and the faulty

rationale for not wearing helmets, as well as the misconception that

helmets are heavy, hot, and "nerdy" (brain damage is more "nerdy").

Included in the program materials are a presentation outline, the videotape Bicycle Safety Camp, and printed bicycle safety educational handout literature, such as Best Bicyclist on Earth or Timmy the Dinosaur.

Bicycle Zone and Get the Big Picture (AAA Traffic Foundation,

Washington, DC) are other videotapes that have been used and are recommended for grades six through eight.

Funding:

The development of BIPED was funded through grants obtained by the

4-H CES from various private grant sources.

Publicity:

Every year, 4-H CES sends a letter to all elementary schools in the vicinity

of Wilmington, Delaware. It provides information about the program and

asks school administrators to schedule a BIPED class. Many schools consider the class an annual event and schedule it every spring.

The class talks

about how to 

handle peer 

pressure and

the misconception that helmets

are heavy,

hot, and "nerdy"

(brain damage is 

more "nerdy").
14

Successes:

The biggest success has been the partnership between the White Clay

Bicycle Club and 4-H CES. 4-H CES had already established credibility

and good working relationships with schools through its other programs. BIPED benefited from its association with 4-H CES and was

immediately embraced by schools. 4-H CES handles all promotional

and logistical aspects of the program, including sending announcement letters to schools, scheduling classes, and pre-class site visits to

distribute materials.

This program is strictly a classroom presentation. Because of its simplicity of delivery (only a 45-minute classroom presentation), many students can be taught. This method also is least disruptive to standard

school routines and therefore is easier for schools to accommodate.

Building partnerships with other organizations in the community can

provide different resources, expertise, existing relationships with target

audiences, and funding opportunities.

Challenges:

As stated above, many students can be reached because this program

is strictly a classroom presentation. However, students would retain

more knowledge and skills and have a more complete educational

experience if they were given actual bicycle riding practice.

4-H had already

established 

credibility and

good working 

relationships 

with schools 

through its 

other programs.

BIPED benefited

from its association with 4-H 

and was immediately 

embraced by 

schools.
15

Program title: Bicycle Safety and Awareness Program

Organization: Bicycle Transportation Alliance,

Portland, Oregon

Contact: Scott Bricker, Program Director

Contact information: 503-226-0676, scott@bta4bikes.org

Web site: www.bta4bikes.org

Program start date: 1998

Target audience: Fourth through seventh (primarily sixth)

grade students

Program length: Seven to ten hours

Program Summary:

The Bicycle Safety and Awareness program is a comprehensive, on-bike,

ten-hour curriculum that teaches middle school students the fundamentals of bicycle safety. Children learn to obey traffic laws and signs,

ride with traffic, hand turn signals, road positioning, right-of-way rules,

hazard identification, defensive cycling, proper helmet fitting, and bicycle maintenance. The goal is to maintain an on-bike focus, spending six

of the ten hours riding and culminating with an on-street 

community ride. Bicycle Safety and Awareness instructors are certified

by completing a twelve-hour teacher-training class. Certified instructors spend two weeks at a school during which they teach five or six

different classes. Each class is visited by an instructor seven to ten

times, depending on how much time the school has made available.

The program is divided into two parts – four hours in the classroom

and six hours on bicycle. The course consists of ten onehour sessions. The first four days consist of the following

topics: Day 1, Understanding bicycle traffic laws and

signs, which includes a 21-minute videotape, First Gear;

Day 2, Fitting helmets; Day 3, Maintaining and repairing

bicycle; and Day 4, Bike safety checks and traffic simulation. The second four days of the curriculum take place

outside: Day 5 includes bicycle riding activities that teach

skills like braking, turning, road positioning, and riding

with one hand. Days 6, 7, and 8 introduce children to riding on the street and focus on road position, right-of-way,

intersections, and interactions with other vehicles. Days 9

and 10 consist of well-supervised on-street community

rides.

Materials in the program include an instructor manual, the videotape

First Gear (covering traffic laws in depth), helmet fitting brochure, Guide

to Biking in the City brochure and booklet, bicycle maintenance/repair

tools, traffic cones, reflective vests, helmets (for borrowing or buying),

and 25 loan bicycles.

Bike rodeos are a safe way to teach bike 

handling skills.
16

Evaluation:

There is a written 20-question pre-test and post-test (true/false and

multiple choice) on lesson topics. The average improvement of the

post-test score over the pre-test score has been 40 to 60 percent.

In addition, surveys in schools where the course was conducted

showed that approximately four percent of the children rode to school

before they attended the program and ten percent rode to school

afterwards.

Funding:

The program is funded by Federal TEA-21, Section 402 (three years)

funding through the Oregon Department of Transportation. Successful

grant writing for funding from local, regional, and national organizations and corporations has also provided a good fund base. (Refer to

the list of sponsors on the Bicycle Transportation Alliance Web site:

www.bta4bikes.org).

Publicity:

Schools that choose to include the program have been recruited by

contacting school administrators and teachers. News of the program is

then spread informally by word-of-mouth and interested teachers call

the Bicycle Transportation Alliance for more information.

Successes:

On-bike practice has been a key to the enthusiasm of the students and

their willingness to demonstrate and retain the safe biking skills. In

addition, its widespread popularity has been a measure of its success.

Communities all over the state have chosen to implement the program.

Challenges:

While fundraising has been successful, there is always a shortage of

money to accomplish the ultimate program goal – teaching every sixth

grader in Oregon.

The program is still fairly new. Generating attention and interest is

always a challenge. But bicycle safety education does address a variety

interests for the public schools in Oregon:

• Active healthy lifestyle

• Teamwork

• Independence

• Consumer product safety

• Traffic safety

• Environmental cleanliness and awareness

Surveys in 

schools where 

the course was 

conducted 

showed that 

approximately 

four percent of 

the children rode

to school before 

they attended 

the program and 

ten percent rode 

to school

afterwards.
17

Kids on Bikes

has been able 

to refurbish and

place bicycles 

with dozens of 

economicallydisadvantaged

youths who 

otherwise would 

not have the 

opportunity

to ride a bicycle.

Program title: Kids on Bikes

Organization: Kids on Bikes International, Inc.,

Reno, Nevada

Contact: Nat McKay, Program Director

Contact information: 775-856-2250, bikes@reno.quik.com

Program start date: 1999

Target audience: Elementary school-age children

Program length: Two hours

Program summary:

The Kids on Bikes program is held at community centers, recreation centers, and public events such as the "Child’s Fair," which was first held in

April 2000. Currently, Kids on Bikes is not in public schools.

The Kids on Bikes program targets upper-elementary age children.

However, the standard topics can be replaced by more basic bicycle

handling skills and pedestrian safety techniques to be age-appropriate

for younger elementary school-age children.

The standard program consists of one hour indoors and one hour of

on-bike activities outdoors. The indoors presentation includes a discussion about crashes and head injuries, and the importance of wearing

helmets and fitting them correctly. The "egg-drop" demonstration in a

box of styrofoam illustrates how helmets can protect the head. The

videotape Jello in a Jar is shown and discussed. Helmets are then provided to children who do not have them. They are sold at wholesale

cost and given to underprivileged participants. Proper helmet fitting

and bicycle fitting are taught. Loan bicycles are provided (new or refurbished from donations) to children who do not have them. Underprivileged participants are given bicycles.

The outside session is a bicycle rodeo that consists of nine skills 

stations, as follows:

• Left turn, right turn, and stop

• Quick stop

• Controlled straight line through cones

• Controlled slalom weaving maneuvers through cones

• Look over left shoulder for traffic

• Emergency obstacle dodge

• Maneuver through congested traffic conditions (other 

bicycles, children, cones, etc.) and figure eight turning in

limited space
18

• Multiple bicyclists maneuvering in figure eight

• Slow race (balancing) – the winner is the last child to finish

without feet touching ground 

Next, the children complete a handout, "Find the Missing 12 Hazards,"

in which they identify hidden bicycle hazards on a drawing of a street

scene. Free bicycling-related handouts are given to the children, such

as water bottles, bicycle safety workbooks, and coloring books.

Evaluation:

A 15-question written multiple choice, true/false test is given to the

children at the end of the two-hour session. Students generally score

an average of 80 percent correct.

Funding:

Funding has come from Federal Section 402 money through the

Nevada Department of Transportation. In addition, other funding has

come from small grants from organizations such as hospitals, as well as

private donations. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has also

provided funding based on the program’s bicycle parts recycling activities.

Publicity:

Kids on Bikes events are announced on radio public service announcements and via flyers and notifications posted in hospitals and other

public places. Local television and newspaper stories have been done

on Kids on Bikes.

Successes:

Kids on Bikes has been able to refurbish and place

bicycles with dozens of economically-disadvantaged youths who otherwise would not have the

opportunity to own a bicycle. During 2001, Kids

on Bikes has placed almost 200 bicycles and

trained 975 children in seven months – April

through October.

Challenges:

The challenges are to educate more children to

wear helmets as well as to convince adults to

wear helmets so they are good role models for

the children. The Kids on Bikes program has not

yet been incorporated in public schools.

The challenges

are to educate

more children to 

wear helmets as

well as to convince adults to

wear helmets so 

they are good

role models for

the children.

Children need helmet-wearing adults as role models.
19

A long, fun trip is 

taken on the last 

day of the program, and more 

adult volunteers

are invited. It 

may consist of a 

12-mile trip 

around a lake

ending at an icecream store.

Program title: After School Bike Club

Organization: City of Madison, Wisconsin

Contact: Arthur Ross, Program Director 

Ellen Pillsbury, Lead Instructor

Contact information: 608-266-6225, Aross@ci.madison.wi.us 

608-266-4474, epillsbury@ci.madison.wi.us 

Program start date: Pilot launched in summer of 2001

Target audience: Middle school-age children

Program length: Eight 1.5-hour sessions

Program summary:

The After School Bike Club was developed to teach safe bicycling skills

as well as to promote bicycling as a fun and lifelong activity. The title

After School Bike Club was selected over a title such as "Bike Safety

Course", since middle school-age children generally consider having

fun to be more important than personal safety. Nonetheless, the main 

orientation of this program is to learn bicycle safety while having 

fun riding bicycles. The bicycle safety skills taught in this program are

based on those of the Effective Cycling course from the League of

American Bicyclists (www.bikeleague.org). The After School Bike Club

pilot was introduced during the summer of 2001 by veteran bicycle

safety educator Arthur Ross and League Cycling Instructor Ellen

Pillsbury in middle schools and public recreation centers.

The students bring their bicycles to the After School Bike Club and the

lead instructor works with the students aided by adult volunteers. The

Club consists of eight 1.5-hour sessions. The sessions consist primarily

of bicycle rides, some pre-ride discussion, and frequent stop-and-talk

teaching opportunities. The program is flexible enough to accommodate students with varying skill levels.

Day 1 is a preparation day consisting of a discussion/demonstration, a

bicycle safety inspection (using a checklist), proper helmet fitting, and

basic rules of the road. It also includes a brief ride on quiet residential

streets during which three safety skills are emphasized: entering traffic

from a driveway and right and left turns. The remaining days consist of

bicycle rides to increasingly distant destinations, while frequently 

stopping to discuss situations encountered.

Day 2 consists of a longer ride with braking and lane positioning introduced. The ride includes traffic situations like parked cars, stop signs,

and traffic signals, plus plenty of turns to practice lane positioning. In

addition, the previous day’s skills are practiced.
20

Day 3 consists of a hazard identification exercise before getting on the

bicycles, then an on-bike team scavenger hunt identifying hazards: (1)

moving (cars, bicycles, dogs), (2) stationary (trees, fences, parked cars),

(3) surfaces (pot holes, grass, wet or oily pavement, sand), and (4) visibility (sunlight, darkness, rain, fog, objects). An optional lesson in emergency maneuvers, like the quick turn and quick stop, is sometimes

introduced. But because of the high level of bicycle handling skill

needed, this lesson is not recommended for all groups. The point is to

identify hazards in advance to make the use of emergency evasive

maneuvers unnecessary.

Day 4 consists of operational procedures such as shifting, braking,

maintaining cadence, planning when to stop, and shifting in advance.

In addition, the previous day’s skills are practiced.

Days 5 to 8 consist of longer distance rides and riding in more complex

traffic patterns. During a rainy day or riding break, students are taught

to fix a flat tire, plan routes, and read maps. A long, fun trip is taken on

the last day, and more adult volunteers are invited. For example,

it may consist of a 12-mile trip around a lake, ending at an ice

cream store.

Arrangements are often made with a local bicycle store to 

borrow rental bicycles or helmets, as needed. The store may send

an employee to help supervise. Traffic Enforcement Officers are

also good resources. They are sometimes invited to ride with the

club and talk about traffic laws. Also included in the course are

promotional flyers, bicycle inspection checklists, and an instructor

lesson plan.

Middle school-age children have been selected as the target

audience for this program. The intent is that the After School Bike

Club will encourage students to continue their frequent riding

habits during high school years and beyond. Middle school-age

children tend to use bicycles more frequently than children in

other age groups. Middle school children are also more independent than elementary-age children and more likely to use

bicycles to commute to school. In addition, bicycle riding tends

to decrease with high school students.

Evaluation:

No formal success measuring methods were undertaken for this program. However, the lead instructor observes the students’ on-bike

behavior and generally notes skill improvements. Several of the students were observed using their bicycles throughout the city over the

course of the summer of 2001, indicating a greater comfort level on the

part of both the participants and their parents in their bicycling skills

and abilities.

Bike trip break for an ice cream treat.
21

Funding:

Federal Highway Administration Section 402 funds were furnished

through the Wisconsin Department of Transportation. These funds covered instructor costs and material development.

Publicity:

Flyers were posted in schools and other public places, and summer

recreational programs were contacted.
22

Program title: Bike Lesson and Safety Training 

Program (BLAST) 

Organization: Youth Educational Sports Foundation 

(YES), Los Angeles, California

Contact: Tana Ball, Executive Director

Contact information: 818-292-0779, info@yesports.org

Web site: www.yesports.org

Program start date: 1995

Target audience: Elementary, middle school, and high 

school–age students

Program length: Two hours (two class periods)

Program summary:

YES is a nonprofit organization that works both in and outside of

schools and introduces nontraditional school sports such as bicycling

to students from kindergarten to college and to youth organizations.

Bicycle safety, recreational, and competition programs are taught during school hours, during after–school cycling club programs, and during youth organizations’ planned events.

The Bike Lesson and Safety Training (BLAST) is a bicycle safety program

that was first developed by YES in March 1995. BLAST is a free, comprehensive, self-contained package containing a video and tutorial available to schools in Los Angeles County for free. BLAST is taught in

school physical education classes. Loan bicycles, helmets, and other

equipment are also available to schools. The program has three objectives:

• Reduce the number of bicycle riders killed, disabled, or 

injured by decreasing bicycle–related collisions

• Increase bicycle helmet use

• Increase the use of bicycles as part of a healthy life style 

for transportation, recreation, and sport

While each of the three programs emphasize different age-appropriate

information, all cover the following nine topics:

• Bicycle-handling skills

• Traffic proximity

• Bicycling as an environmental solution

• Biking for physical health

• Traffic survival skills

YES sponsors a

bicycle recycling 

program in which

children are 

taught repair skills 

and then earn a

bicycle by fixing

up one that has

been donated.
23

• Bicycling as sport

• Bicycling as recreation and transportation

• Helmet safety

• Bicycle maintenance 

The elementary school BLAST program (ages 5 to 10) focuses on pedestrian skills and beginning bicycle-handling skills. The middle school

BLAST program (ages 11-13) focuses on residential bicycling and beginning traffic skills. The high school BLAST program (ages 14-18) focuses

on biking in traffic skills and bicycling as a life skill. Each program consists of two sessions. A manual with instructions on how to conduct

both sessions is included in the BLAST package.

In the first session, the 28-minute videotape The Bike Channel is shown

and then discussed. The videotape covers three topics:

• Road survival skills

• Smart bicycling skills

• Interesting bicycling facts

Also included in this discussion are proper nutrition and exercise.

During the first day, the students are given permission forms for signature by parents allowing students to participate in the second day bicycle rodeo.

The bicycle rodeo gives the students hands-on bicycle practice.

Bicycles and helmets are available for students who do not have their

own equipment. Students record their scores for each skill covered in

the rodeo (for example, merging into traffic or helmet check).

YES sponsors other bicycle education programs that promote a variety

of community-based values and also target lower social-economic

populations. These programs include bicycle clubs that sponsor bicycle

field trips and other special events as well as continuous education in

safety and advanced riding skills. Other programs include a bicycle

recycling program in which children are taught repair skills and then

earn a bicycle by fixing one that has been donated.

Evaluation:

Surveys have been conducted at participating schools one month

before and one month after the program. In general, there has been an

increase in bicycle use and a major decrease in the bicycle-related

injuries among students. To date, no known bicycle-related deaths

have occurred among students after participating in the program.
24

Funding:

The BLAST program applied for and received three grants:

• Three-year startup funding from the U.S. Department of 

Transportation Section 402 funds via the Los Angeles 

County Metropolitan Transportation Authority 

• After the three-year startup grant from the Los Angeles 

County Metropolitan Transportation Authority, the 

California State Office of Traffic Safety provided funding 

that was crucial to sustaining the program for five more 

years.

• The California State Department of Health Services has 

provided funding that has helped sustain the program.

YES also helps schools organize fundraising events for their 

own bicycle programs.

Publicity:

BLAST is integrated into the Los Angeles Unified School District.

Notices for the program are sent to teachers through the internal

school mail system. Fortunately, the California Department of

Education requires bicycle safety and injury prevention education in

the schools. BLAST is currently well supported by teachers and administrators because it addresses this requirement.

Successes:

BLAST reaches approximately 350,000 students annually.

Since the development of BLAST and other YES bicycle programs, Los

Angeles County youths have shown a general increase in bicycle use

and decrease in bicycle-related injuries.

Approximately 75 percent of middle school and high school students

who want to join the bicycle clubs do not have bicycles. YES has been

successful in making bicycles available for loan, thus ensuring that students will be able to stay in practice, maintain interest, and ride safely

through their high school years.
25

Challenges:

Initially, it was difficult to convince school administrators that bicycle

safety education was important and should be included in schools. The

arguments used to convince administrators were:

• Even though most students don’t ride bicycles, some do,

and they need bicycle safety training.

• Bicycling is important as a healthy lifestyle activity.

• California passed a helmet law in 1994, requiring children 

to wear helmets while bicycling. Children need to be 

trained on their proper use.

In addition, since many children ride the bus to school, they have no

way to bring their bicycles to school for the program. The BLAST program now has bicycle trailers and loan bicycles.

Approximately

75 percent of 

middle school

and high 

school students

who want to 

join the bicycle 

clubs do not 

have bicycles.

YES makes 

bicycles available for loan.
26

Program title: Earn a Bike and Ride Club

Organization: Recycle a Bike, New York, New York

Contact: Karen Overton, Director

Contact information: 212-260-7055 or 212-475-1655,

ko@recycleabicycle.org

Web site: www.recycleabicycle.org 

Program start date: 1994

Target audience: Upper-elementary age through 

high school

Program length: Participants spend 18 hours 

working in the program bicycle 

shop and six hours working on 

their own bicycle. They also 

receive 20 hours of instruction 

(ten weeks, two hours per week)

Program summary:

Recycle a Bike includes the Earn a Bike program and Bike Club. The Earn

a Bike program is part of a larger effort by Recycle a Bike to develop a

culture in the community in which bicycles and biking are a focus. Its

goals are to:

• Increase the number of children (and adults) who ride 

bicycles

• Increase safe biking practices

• Educate children about bicycle repair, running a business,

recycling, and the health benefits of bicycling

The Earn a Bike program has three requirements. The first requirement

is for the participant to spend 18 hours assisting in the program’s 

commercial/educational Recycle a Bike store. This is a fully functional

retail store that repairs donated bicycles and sells them to the public.

The participant learns bicycle repair and business skills. The participant

may also spend six out of the 18 hours doing a pre-approved outside

community service.

The second requirement is for the participant to spend six hours repairing the recycled bicycle that will be given to him or her. The repaired

bicycle must pass a safety inspection by the staff.

The Recycle a 

Bike program is

one of 100 

organizations

across the United 

States that are 

part of the Youth 

Bicycle Education 

Network, an 

organization that 

promotes Earn a 

Bike programs.
27

The third requirement is for the participant to take a 20-hour course

(ten weeks, two hours per week) that consists of the following four lesson topics:

• An hour-long discussion of bicycle safety that includes a 

28-minute videotape, The Bike Channel, produced by the 

BLAST program (referred to in previous case study) 

• Environmental recycling 

• Bicycle mechanics

• Health benefits of bicycling

The participant takes ownership of the bicycle after completing the

above four requirements.

Another component of the Recycle a Bike program is Ride Club. Ride

Club consists of eight weekly organized bicycle rides, usually during the

summer. Often, the bicycle ride destinations are community service

centers that provide opportunities for discussion about community

service. For example, after a ride to a sculpture park that recycles

objects, a discussion is held about recycling. The first session is spent

inspecting bikes for safety, followed up with a short ride on a green

way (not on streets) – five miles for pre-teens and eight miles for teens.

During each ride, breaks are taken to talk about and demonstrate educational lessons, such as bicycle safety practices. The last ride is a

longer one to a "special" destination, such as the beach. The rides are

led by paid staff and assisted by volunteers.

At some point during Ride Club, a bicycle

rodeo is set up where the children must

demonstrate the safe biking skills they have

learned, such as riding in a straight line,

turning, following directions in a group ride,

and balancing (during a slow bicycle “race”).

In addition, a written true/false quiz must be

passed. (Note that this is not always used

because some of the immigrant population

lack English reading skills.) After successful

completion of the Ride Club, the children

receive a laminated Ride Club license that is

honored at local bicycle stores for discounted purchases of bicycle-related equipment.

The Recycle a Bike program in New York City

is one of 100 organizations across the United States that are part of the

Youth Bicycle Education Network, an organization dedicated to promoting Earn a Bike programs. To learn more about the Youth Bicycle

Education Network, contact Charles Hammond at: e-mail

chammond@iupui.edu or telephone 317-253-3632.

Children demonstrate safe biking skills in a bike rodeo course.

Other benefits

for participants 

are community 

service education and skills 

in operating a 

business, repairing bicycles,

overcoming the 

psychological 

barriers of 

geography, and 

riding a bike 

safely.
28

Evaluation:

The only measure of success is completion of the programs by the participants. As of the summer of 2001, nearly 4,000 youths had completed

the program.

Funding:

First-year funding was $25,000 from the New York City Department of

Sanitation (because of the recycling component). Additional monies

are received through donations from cycling organizations, as well as

grants from small foundations. In addition, funding is provided through

bicycle sales and repairs from the Recycle a Bike store.

Publicity:

Many participants learn about the program through the Web site

(www.recycleabike.org). In addition, word-of-mouth networking has

been effective through bicycle shops. Public access TV has also been

used, as well as the distribution of promotional T-shirts.

Successes:

This program is based on experiential learning through hands-on activities: repairing and riding bicycles. Its philosophy is to have children

participate in a fun activity, through which a variety of skills are learned.

Other benefits for participants are community service education and

skills in operating a business, repairing bicycles, overcoming the 

psychological barriers of geography, and riding bicycle safely. The program trains approximately 500 children annually.

Challenges:

There has not been enough money to staff all events. Volunteers are

not expected to be fully accountable for all aspects of the program.

Events should be led by paid staff who can be fully accountable, then

supplemented with volunteers.

Liability is always an issue. Parental waivers should be included.

Nonetheless, this will not keep a parent from suing in case of an accident.

Safe bicycles are not always brought to Ride Club by participants. Staff

must be sure that any bicycle used in an activity is inspected and determined to be safe to ride. Having a fleet of safe bicycles available for participants to use is one solution to this problem.

Volunteers are

not expected to

be fully 

accountable for 

all aspects of the

program.

Events should 

be led by paid,

fully accountable 

staff, then supplemented with 

volunteers.
29

Program title: Sprockids

Organization: International Mountain Biking 

Association(IMBA)/Sprockids

Contact: Judd de Vall, IMBA/Sprockids Coordinator

Contact information: 1-888-442-4622, judd@imba.com

Web site: www.imba.com, www.sprockids.com

Program start date: 1990

Target audience: Elementary through high school-age 

students

Program length: Flexible ten-week program (two one-hour

sessions per week)

Program summary:

Sprockids is a comprehensive educational program started in British

Columbia, Canada, that brings the sport of mountain biking into the

educational curriculum. It was developed by an elementary school

teacher in response to a need for promoting a sports activity in schools

that is inclusive to all students who want to participate. Its overall

goals are to promote self-esteem and teamwork while retaining individuality, and develop healthy, physical, lifelong activity among all

youths. The Sprockids program accomplishes these goals though

numerous lessons and activities that focus primarily on bicycle maintenance and safe riding skills.

Additional activities include lessons on fitting bicycles, designing

mountain biking courses on playgrounds, fitness/nutrition/dehydration, racing skills, designing team logos and T-shirts, starting bicycle

clubs, trail etiquette, and trail building and maintenance. It is a flexible,

organized collection of resources that teachers, coaches, and others can

use to set up their own programs and tailor to the appropriate age

level. Teachers create mountain biking clubs that form the basis of

these activities. Most of the activities are outdoors, but some are

indoors.

Though flexible in scope, the full-scale program typically spans ten

weeks, with two hour-long sessions per week. Optional cross-curricular

activities have also been incorporated into the lessons that address

subjects like math, language arts, science, social studies, and art. In

addition, the Sprockids program includes after-school bicycle club

activities such as trail maintenance and building, teaching riding skills,

weekly rides, maintenance clinics, group rides, and participation in

mountain biking races.

Sprockids’ overall 

goals are to promote self-esteem 

and teamwork 

while retaining 

overall individuality, and develop 

healthy, physical,

lifelong activity

among all youths.
30

The most recent large event organized by Sprockids was "Trail Fest

2001" which brought together the Back Country Horsemen Association

and the British Columbia Ministry of Forests to build forest trails for

recreational use. Over 1,000 students from eight elementary and two

high schools were involved. After the trail work was complete, a large

barbecue and prize giveaway for participants was held. Over the years,

many of the bike companies and component manufacturers such as

Norco, RaceFace, SRAM, Manitou, Rock Shox, Santa Cruz, Chris King,

TruVativ, Bell Sports USA, Sun/Ringle, FinishLine, Park Toos, OGC,

Shimano, and others have been very generous in providing products

for the various events that Sprockids hosts.

Evaluation:

In 1999, a survey was sent to 100 different educators who have used

the program. It provided qualitative information that was useful in

improving the course. Formal evaluation is planned for 2002.

Funding:

Initial funding was contributed strictly by the developer, Doug

Detwiller. However, as popularity of the program spread, funding from

small organizations allowed Detwiller to develop the standard print

materials. The International Mountain Biking Association (IMBA) of

Boulder, Colorado and Sprockids have partnered to further develop and

promote the program in the U.S., Canada, and eventually, internationally. One of the first tasks was to expand and revise the instructional

package. The new manual and supporting documentation should be

printed by the end of 2001. The partnering with IMBA has brought visibility that has led to sponsorship from Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream and

Pearl Izumi Clothing.

Publicity:

Sprockids has no advertising budget but has been very fortunate in

receiving media coverage from mountain biking magazines, newspaper articles, and from television stations like ESPN, OLN, and CBC. Even

with this kind of attention, the greatest publicity has nonetheless been

from word-of-mouth.

Successes:

The program was developed initially to target the developer’s immediate students. Over time, news spread slowly about the program and its

popularity has greatly increased. Nonetheless, success of the program

has primarily been measured in its ability to help children enhance

their self-esteem, and in the personal satisfaction of teachers when the

program benefits the children.
31

Challenges:

Nontraditional sports such as biking are not easily accepted as part of a

sports system in the schools. For the developers of Sprockids, the definition of sports in the schools needs to be changed. A sport like biking

can offer a great deal to child development. It is an inclusive sport in

which anyone at just about any level of physical ability can participate.

"Not making the team" is not an issue.
32

Adult Programs

Program title: Effective Cycling/Road I

Organization: Massachusetts Bicycle Coalition

Contact: John S. Allen, Instructor

Contact information: 781-891-9307, jsallen@bikexprt.com

Web site: www.bikexprt.com

Program start date: 1989

Target audience: Adults (primarily) and teenagers

Program length: 20 hours (five four-hour sessions)

Program summary:

John Allen is a certified instructor of the League of American Bicyclists

(www.bikeleague.org) BikeEd program. The League has revised BikeEd

into several age-appropriate and skill-level programs, including Road I

and Road II. The Massachusetts Bicycle Coalition organizes several Road I

classes a year. John Allen, one of the Coalition instructors, currently

teaches the Road I course and supplements it with elements from the

Road II course.

The course is generally held at a community or recreation center. The

activities during the first day are conducted in a wide-open, safe parking

lot. As an opening “attention grabber,” the instructor demonstrates bicycle-handling techniques that are not commonly known; for example,

quick stops using front/back braking, emergency turning techniques to avoid obstacles,

and quick starts. The techniques demonstrated are for maneuvering and crash avoidance,

not athletic display. They are described in

John Forester’s book, Effective Cycling.

Other topics are proper bicycle fitting, helmet

fitting, maintenance procedures, and performing a pre-ride safety check. Also covered are

bicycle mounting and dismounting techniques, starting and stopping in traffic, maintaining a straight line when riding, steering

smoothly, looking over the shoulder for traffic

while steering straight, and using proper hand

signals. Traffic laws and road positioning are also taught. Everyday the

group goes for a ride and stops frequently to discuss the situations

encountered.

Many people

think that they

know all they

need to know

about bicycle 

safety. As a result,

it is difficult to

motivate adults to 

take a bicycle 

safety course.

Adults collecting for a group ride.
33

The first day’s ride is short, and the daily rides get progressively longer

and venture into higher traffic volume areas as the participants are able

to demonstrate their new skills.

The instructor also supplements the course topics with information from

the Road II course, such as the bicyclist’s nutrition, hydration, physical

conditioning, comfort, clothing, and bicycling equipment.

Evaluation:

On the last day, the participants take the standard Road I test in which

they demonstrate their newly learned on-bicycle skills. Almost all students pass the demonstration test.

In addition, the participants take a 20-question multiple choice,

true/false test on the last day. Students generally get between 75 and

85 percent correct on this written test.

Funding:

The students pay a $60 fee that covers all costs for conducting the

course.

Publicity:

The course is publicized in the Massachusetts Bicycle Coalition newsletter and in various adult education notices. Sometimes newspaper articles are written about the course and public television public service

announcements are aired.

Successes:

When the participants see the emergency techniques, they realize that

safe bicycling is a skill that needs to be learned. The opening segment

of the course demonstrates this dramatically.

Challenges:

Many people think that because they learned how to ride when they

were children, they know all they need to know about bicycle safety. As

a result, it is difficult to motivate adults to take a bicycle safety course.
34

Train-the-Trainer Programs

Program title: Texas SuperCyclist Project (Instructor 

Training)

Organization: Texas Bicycle Coalition Education Fund

Contact: Preston Tyree, Program Director

Contact information: 512-476-7433, preston@biketexas.org

Web site: www.SuperCyclist.org

Program start date: Piloted 1996-1998 statewide (Texas);

delivery began August 1999

Target audience: Teachers of fourth and fifth grades

Program length: Approximately five hours (five lessons)

Program summary:

The Texas SuperCyclist Project is a teacher certification program that provides free in-service training for Health and Physical Education teachers

leading to a six-hour certificate from the Texas Association of Health,

Physical Education, Recreation and Dance. This program is designed to

prepare teachers to teach basic bicycle safety practices to fourth and

fifth grade children in schools across Texas. One trainer instructs

approximately 20 to 25 teachers during each one-day session. Teachers

are then qualified to teach the six-hour student course, consisting of

five modules. Each module takes between 45 minutes to an hour to

complete. Modules 1 through 4 are conducted in a classroom and

Module 5 is conducted outdoors, usually in a parking lot or playground.

The modules consist of the following topics:

Module 1: Safety Rules – discusses seven bicycle traffic laws that are

part of the Texas transportation code. It also discusses safety practices

for bicyclists entering traffic and turning.

Module 2: Vehicle Safety – discusses bicycle maintenance and how to

do safety inspections. It includes an inspection checklist.

Module 3: Safe Choices – consists of a discussion about identifying 

safety hazards and making good choices in traffic. It includes a game

called “Cycle Jeopardy” in which the student identifies 15 potential

bicycle hazards on a poster-size, artist rendition of a city street. (Refer

to www.SuperCyclist.org/safechoices.html .)

Module 4: Operator Safety – discusses bicycle operator safety practices

and focuses on proper use of the helmet, but also discusses dress,

hydration, and other safe operator practices.
35

Module 5: Safety in Action – instructs how to build two types of outdoor road courses: Course A—Basic Skills, and Course B—Road

Simulation. (Diagrams for both can be downloaded from

www.SuperCyclist.org/ttraining.html.) Course A is used to give participants practice in basic handling skills and to determine who is ready

for Course B. Course B consists of setting up a simulated road course.

After the road course is set up, a group of teacher trainees is brought in

and taught by the course instructor while the other teacher trainees

observe and assist.

This diagram is the layout for the Course B: Road Simulation developed for the

SuperCyclist Project by the Texas Bicycle Coalition (all contents © 2001). It is designed to

reinforce on-road skills for bicyclists that have already completed Course A: Basic Skills.

Course B has six stations. The optimal number of simultaneous bicyclists on it is six. For

more information on both courses and links to instructions for their use, refer to

www.supercyclist.org/ttraining.html .

Course B: Road Simulation for the SuperCyclist Project© YIELD
36

The following skills are taught in Module 5:

• Signaling

• Lane positioning

• Left and right turns

• Stopping

• Crossing traffic

• Avoiding obstacles

• Entering/crossing traffic

For more information on the five modules, visit

www.SuperCyclist.org/ttraining.html .

Each module includes homework. For example, Module 1 includes a document on Texas

cycling laws and Module 2 includes the bicycle

safety inspection list and instructions on how to use it.

Also included in the course are two videos (one for children and one for

adults), a brochure on safe choices, four posters, four overheads, and a

teachers manual.

Most of these materials can be downloaded from 

www.SuperCyclist.org .

Evaluation:

There are three evaluation methods for the SuperCyclist course: a pretest, a post-test, and a helmet usage survey. The pre-test and post-test

consist of 15 questions (same questions for each) on topics covered in

the course. An average of 62 percent correct has been scored on the

pre-test and 86 percent correct on the post-test.

The survey on whether students are wearing helmets is given before

the course, then again three months and six months later. Results have

shown that an average of 12 percent of students who haven’t taken the

course wear helmets and an average of 46 percent of students who

have taken the course wear helmets after both three months and six

months following course completion. It is hoped that these helmet use

survey results indicate a change of the other behaviors taught in the

course as well.

Survey results 

have shown that 

an average of 12 

percent of 

students who 

haven’t taken 

the course wear 

helmets and an 

average of 46 

percent of students who have 

taken the course 

wear helmets.

Simulated road courses are a safe way to introduce 

bicyclists to the skills required for riding in traffic.
37

Funding:

The seed money came from a grant from Subaru of America, Inc., which

provided two cars and salary for one full-time employee for three years.

This provided time to apply for the three-year federal grant, Section

402 Traffic Safety Funds from the U.S. Department of Transportation.

The Texas Department of Transportation assisted in acquiring this funding. The Section 402 funding has totaled approximately $800,000.

Publicity:

School district coordinators and organizations such as the PTA and the

Texas Association of Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance

have been contacted. These organizations must be convinced that a

non-academic program like the SuperCyclist program is needed in the

Texas schools. The Texas Medical Association and the Texas Hospital

Association have been supportive of this program.

Successes:

The program has been promoted to the 80 largest school districts (out

of 1,600 districts statewide), representing approximately 50 percent of

the school population. Of these, over half have held training programs

resulting in over 2,200 teachers trained in less than two years. This

should result in over 200,000 students trained each year.

Because there are so many potential SuperCyclist students – over 1,600

school districts with more than 3,600 physical education teachers in

the state of Texas – partnerships have been built with several organizations, for example, local PTAs and the Texas Medical Association. These

partnerships have helped the program’s popularity and credibility

among Texas schools.

Challenges:

Over 1,600 school districts must be convinced that they need the

SuperCyclist program. This is not easy when there is competition for

teachers’ time in other high visibility subjects like math and English.

Teachers and/or school administrators must make sure that the school

insurance covers "on school ground" student activities. In addition,

waivers for each student must be signed by parents. Schools need to

treat this program just as they would a field trip.

Teachers have a tendency to stray from the curriculum topics. There

should be follow-up contact with the instructors to ensure that they

are sticking to the curriculum information.

Partnerships

have been built

with several

organizations,

for example,

local PTAs and

the Texas 

Medical

Association.

These partnerships have 

helped the program’s popularity

and credibility

among Texas

schools.
38

Program title: Florida Traffic and Bicycle Safety 

Education Program

Organization: Florida Department of 

Transportation and University of Florida

Contact: Linda Crider, Program Director

Contact information: 352-392-8192, LBCrider@aol.com

Web site: www.dcp.ufl.edu/centers/trafficsafetyed/

Program start date: 1982

Target audience: School teachers and community trainers 

to serve as instructors for grades K-2,

grades 3-5, grades 6-8, and driver’s 

education students

Program lengths: Ten-hour workshop for school teachers;

eight-hour work shop for community 

trainers (three to five hours classroom

instruction each year in grades K-5 and 

three to five hours of on-bike training 

each year in grades 3-5); and two-hour 

driver’s education course (piloted in 2001)

Program summary:

The Florida Traffic and Bicycle Safety Education Program consists primarily

of four courses: (1) ten-hour teacher (elementary and middle) workshop,

Pre-Driver’s Ed – Thinking Ahead; (2) eight-hour Community Workshop; (3)

nine-hour Road I Adult Bicycling (developed by League of American

Bicyclists, refer to www.bikeleague.org); and (4) two-hour Driver Ed for

Bike and Ped (piloted in 2001). These courses teach bicycle safety skills

and encourage walking and bicycling as healthy and environmentally

responsible transportation choices.

The ten-hour teacher workshop Pre-Driver’s Ed – Thinking Ahead prepares Physical Education and Health teachers at the elementary and

middle school levels at one-and-half day training sessions. The Traffic

Safety Education Guide is used to conduct the workshop and focuses on

development of pedestrian and bicycle skills appropriate for physical

education classes. These are provided at no cost to teachers by a grant

from the Florida Department of Transportation Safety Office. Education

for grades K-2 focuses on pedestrian safety while the grades 3-5 program focuses on bicycle safety. The middle school (grades 6-8) program

deals with environment-friendly transportation, nutrition and cycling,

bike maintenance and repair and "pre-driver" skills of crash avoidance

and rules of the road. Teachers learn how to train students in progressive, age-appropriate acquisition of bicycle and traffic safety skills,

decision-making skills, balance development, awareness of 

The Florida State

government

has deemed the 

program worthy

enough to fund 

as a part of its

annual budget.
39

surroundings and environmental/conservation issues, independence

mobility, and physical exercise and health. Lessons include classroom

instruction involving viewing and discussing a videotape and completing game activity sheets. On-bike practice lessons include learning

traffic skills such as signaling, avoiding hazards, scanning left/right and

to the rear, stopping at the edge, and proper helmet fitting.

Equipment is also provided by the program. This includes speciallydesigned 14-foot trailers that house bicycles, helmets, traffic cones, tool

kits, videotapes, classroom materials, and everything else needed to

conduct the program. These trailers circulate from school to school

during the year and are periodically rotated for bike maintenance.

The eight-hour Community Workshop provides community law enforcement officials, youth group leaders, community safety specialists and

school resource officers with bicycle safety procedures and rules of the

road appropriate for the elementary level. Participants learn to conduct successful bicycle safety rodeos and present bicycle safety information to the public. For a small fee, participants also receive a copy of

Guide to Bicycle Rodeos by John Williams and Dan Burden.

The Driver’s Ed for Bicycle and Ped Program fulfills the need for bicycle

safety education in driver education programs. Driver’s education

instructors are prepared to teach bicycle and pedestrian laws, common

crash types, and responsible sharing of the road through classroom

activities, homework, and evaluation tools. In 2001, this course was in

the pilot stage.

All courses and workshops are conducted by members of the Florida

Regional Training Team and are certified by the League of American

Bicyclists.

Evaluation:

A study was conducted on elementary schools participating in the

Florida Traffic and Bicycle Safety Education Program from 1996 through

1998 in Duval County, Florida. The following was found: an increase in

helmet use from 19 percent in 1996 to 47 percent in 1997; an 80 percent decrease in bicycle-related mortality and a 68 percent decrease in

bicycle-related injury between 1996 and 1997.

Funding:

In 1982, the Florida Traffic and Bicycle Safety Education Program was

developed with assistance from the U.S. Department of Transportation

(DOT) Section 402 funding through the Florida DOT (FDOT). This was a

three-year grant that funded one developer/instructor position. When

that funding ceased, the program became inactive. A team of bicycle

safety experts developed a more comprehensive train-the-trainer 

curriculum, and Polk County, Florida, obtained Section 402 funding for

three years to train a group of physical education teachers who would

then teach the curriculum. In 1991 the University of Florida (UF) under
40

the direction of Linda Crider, contracted for the program administration where it remains today. In 1996 it was bought under the FDOT

regular training budget on a three-year renewable contract to UF. The

program is supported through a non-profit organization, Bike Florida,

which supplements training with warehouse space for equipment storage and provides mini-grants to school districts. U.S. DOT 402 funds

are also provided to school districts for purchasing bikes, trailers, and

other equipment.

Publicity:

Because there is no budget for advertising, publicity for the program is

gained primarily by word-of-mouth and newspaper coverage. It is

important that parents learn about the program so that they can apply

pressure to school principals to bring the program into their schools.

Contacts are made through School District Supervisors for Health and

P.E., Health Department Injury Prevention Specialists, Bike/Ped

Supervisors, Community Traffic Safety Specialists, Law Enforcement

Agencies and Safe Kids Coalitions. At present, there is no statewide

curriculum requirement for traffic safety education. However, the program is still supported and conducted in over 55 percent of the school

districts in Florida.

Successes:

The greatest success of the program is that it has not only survived

since 1982 but has also evolved and expanded. The Florida State government has deemed the program worthy to fund as a part of its 

annual budget. This is due in part to its ability to (1) consistently reach

hundreds of thousands of children across the state and (2) successfully

acquire Section 402 funding repeatedly during the late 1980s and early

1990s. The program’s continued appeal to schools is partially a result of

its growth and evolution, a resistance to stagnancy, the ongoing training of new teachers, and a state children’s bicycle helmet law implemented in 1997.

Challenges:

As teachers leave the field, there is constant turnover and a need to

train new teachers. Also, the maintenance and security of equipment

trailers requires continuous attention. It competes for time in an

already constrained school day and requires significant effort and commitment to teach the program and keep equipment in good working

order. The large number of students per class also creates great challenges.
41

Program title: Helmet Your Brain – Avoid the Pain©

Helmet Education Program

Organization: Bicycle Safety Partnership, Safe Kids 

Coalition of Maricopa County and 

Phoenix Children’s Hospital, Injury

Prevention Center, Phoenix, Arizona

Contact: Susan Bookspan, Program Director

Contact information: 602-239-3320,

sbookspan@phxchildrens.com

helmets@phxchildrens.com

Web site: www.phxchildrens.com

Program start date: 1999

Target audience: Teachers for primary, elementary, and 

middle school age

Program length: 90 minutes (one single unit, or may be 

divided into smaller units)

Program summary:

The goal of Helmet Your Brain – Avoid the Pain© program is to encourage the use of helmets by children

biking, roller blading, or riding scooters. Based on

research conducted by Phoenix Children’s Hospital,

only 21 to 22 percent of the children in Phoenix

wore helmets while doing these activities. Also, surveys showed that children were more likely to wear

helmets if their friends did. Group dynamics and

social pressures are important factors for consistent

helmet use among children. The program offers the

students information about the brain and what can

occur if the brain is injured. It also provides information about how the brain can be protected by

the use of a helmet. Most importantly, the program

offers the students an opportunity to discuss and

role-play various ways to encourage helmet use among peers. This

train-the-trainer program is taught by teachers, youth organization

leaders, health professionals, and parents.

The interactive Helmet Your Brain – Avoid the Pain© program materials

are contained in a box and include everything a presenter needs to

prepare for and conduct a class. The program consists of the curriculum and work sheets, a brain gelatin mold, a model of a skull, two 

safety videos, a bicycle helmet, program stickers, Phoenix Children's

Hospital Bike Safety brochures, and a brain book reference guide.

There is also a Spanish language version and an abridged version.

Helmets should be worn while biking, rollerblading,

and scootering.
42

Currently, the program is distributed through a lending program to

schools and organizations in Maricopa County, Arizona (Phoenix 

metropolitan area). It also can be purchased by interested educators

(contact Susan Bookspan for more information). All funds are used to

add materials to the program.

Evaluation:

The Injury Prevention Center at Phoenix Children's Hospital began a

bicycle helmet use observational study in January of 1998 and has 

conducted it annually since then. During the Fall of 2001, schools that

conduct the Helmet Your Brain© program will also answer pre- and

post-class surveys to measure the effectiveness of the program in

changing the practice of helmet use. In past surveys conducted in the

Phoenix area, helmet use by children has generally increased during

the last four years: 1998 – 16 percent, 1999 – 14 percent, 2000 – 22

percent, and 2001 – 21 percent. It is believed that this increase is due

primarily to an overall increase in awareness about the importance of

helmets.

Funding:

The original funding was from the Safe Children Coalition of Maricopa

County, Arizona. This group hosts many activities that raise funds for

various projects. The funding goes to the Bicycle Safety Partnership,

which in turn created the Helmet Your Brain© program as one of its

projects. The program now is primarily funded by proceeds from sales

of the program materials.

Publicity:

Program information is sent semi–annually to school principals, nurses,

librarians and physical education teachers in Maricopa County, Arizona.

These postcards give a brief overview of the program and a number to

call to reserve the program for free. Initially, requests for the program

filtered in slowly but ultimately the program became in high demand.

The largest users are schools, fire departments, police departments and

other Safe Kids Coalitions.

A helmet design contest has also been an effective publicity method

for the program and has served to counter the idea among children

that helmets are not "cool" among their peers. The contest is cosponsored by the 2001 World Series-winning Arizona Diamondbacks

baseball team. Contest packets are sent to school principals, nurses, art

and physical education teachers in Maricopa County on Diamondbacks

letterhead announcing the contest with instructions to distribute the

materials to fourth through sixth grade classes. The packets include

information about the Helmet Your Brain © program and how to reserve

it. Also included are blank drawings of a bicycle helmet. Students are

instructed to draw their favorite bicycle helmet design using the official

Diamondbacks colors.

A helmet design

contest has been 

an effective publicity method and 

has served to 

counter the 

idea among children that helmets 

are not "cool"

among their peers.
43

A panel of judges selects five finalists and at a Diamondbacks baseball

game, fans vote for their favorite helmet artwork based on the designs

viewed on the jumbo screen. A public service announcement for helmet use is also made at the game and during the months before and

after the contest. The winning design is made into custom-made

decals, which are applied to helmets. The helmets with the winning

design are given to the winner's classmates and teacher, and the four

finalists. During the next baseball game, the winner and finalists bicycle into the ballpark and participate in a pre-game on-field ceremony

wearing winning design helmets and T-shirts, and the winner is presented with a trophy. For each of the past two years, thousands of

entries have been received.

Successes:

The most important aspect of this program is that everyone involved is

giving students the same consistent helmet message. It is an allinclusive interactive format that the teachers and other users found

easy to use. The program creates "helmet experts" who spread the helmet safety message.

To date, the program boxes are in constant use and the reputation of

the program has continued to grow. Program requests come in from

all over the country. The Bicycle Safety Partnership sells the program

boxes to users outside of Maricopa County but continues to provide

them free to any school or group within Maricopa County. All receipts

are used to provide more program boxes. The Helmet Your Brain – Avoid

the Pain© program is available in Spanish, as an abridged version,

and as a primary program as well as an adult program.

Challenges:

One limitation of the program is not having enough "brain boxes"

available for all requests. The current goal is to get enough funding

to have a box in every school, library and parks and recreation

department in Maricopa County.

The most important aspect of this 

program is that 

everyone involved is giving 

students the 

same consistent 

message about 

helmets. The program creates 

"helmet experts" 

who spread the 

helmet safety

message.

Trail sign in Alaska – bicycle

helmet awareness is spreading

across the nation.
44

Program title: Nevada Elementary Traffic Safety Program 

Instructor Course

Organization: Department of Highway Safety,

Carson City, Nevada

Contact: Bruce MacKey, Program Director

Contact information: 775-687-4229

spinwin@govmail.state.nv.us

Program start date: 1993

Target audience: Law enforcement officers, teachers, and 

other community volunteers who teach 

children of any age

Program length: 16 hours (two days)

Program summary:

The Nevada Elementary Traffic Safety Program Instructor Course is a 

comprehensive two-day workshop that provides participants with the

informational resources needed to develop and teach bicycle and

pedestrian safety courses. This program also includes information on

how to apply for grants to fund programs. The course fee is $50.

The course covers the following topics:

• Causes of Crashes 

• Principles and Laws

• Bicycle Rodeos

• The Grant Process: How to Get Organized and Funded

• The Bicycle (Inside and Outside)

• Pedestrian Outdoor Skills

• Practical Examination Ride and Walk

In Causes of Crashes, statistics are provided on the type of behaviors

and causal conditions for pedestrian and bicycle injuries and fatalities

for both adults and children. This information reveals the dangerous

traffic-related behaviors that children most commonly display and

identifies which behaviors should be addressed in bicycle and pedestrian safety education. The 13-minute American Automobile Association

video, How Children are Different is shown. This video examines how

children physiologically and behaviorally are more vulnerable than

adults to accidents. For example, children’s peripheral vision is only

two-thirds that of adults. Education, as well as enforcement and engineering are stressed as ways to prevent crashes.
45

In Principles and Laws, principles of riding in traffic and Nevada state

laws for operating bicycles in traffic are discussed, as are rules for riding

and walking on shared-use paths and trails. A pedestrian skills lesson

for kindergarten through second grade and a bicycle skills lesson for

third through fifth grade are provided. This section of the course examines age-appropriate safety skills respectively for third, fourth, and fifth

grades. It is based on those developed in the Effective Cycling/Road I

course, which is available from the League of American Bicyclists

(www.bikeleague.org). This section also suggests bicycle-related activities that could be covered in other school subjects, such as English, art,

science, and geography. Bicycle-related head injuries are discussed and

proper helmet fitting methods are demonstrated.

In Bicycle Rodeos, the purposes and methods of bicycle rodeos are discussed, including methods for setting up small and large rodeos, their

layouts, and how to conduct them.

In The Grant Process: How to Get Organized and Funded, a step-by-step

method to apply for grants for bicycle safety education programs is discussed. The process includes collecting data, writing problem statements and solutions, specifying goals, objectives, activities, qualifications, evaluation methods, and preparing a budget.

The Bicycle (Inside and Outside) examines the different types of bicycles,

bicycle parts, bicycle repair and safety-check methods, and equipment.

Pedestrian Outdoor Skills teaches safe pedestrian behavior.

Practical Examination Ride and Walk is a two-hour ride and walk that

reviews all of the bicycle and pedestrian safety skills covered in the

course. A guest speaker (police officers or representatives of an organization such as Safe Kids) speaks to the class. For successful completion

of the course, law enforcement officers receive in-service credit and

teachers receive in-service credit or one graduate school credit.

Evaluation:

There is a written (true/false and fill-in-the-blank) 25-question pre-test

and 50-question post-test. Students typically improve an average of 20

percent between the pre-test and the post-test.

In addition, there is an evaluation form about the course for the participants to complete.

Funding:

Funding for the Nevada Elementary Traffic Safety Program Instructor

Course is derived partially from various grants while 50 cents is contributed to the program from every new state vehicle drivers license

fee.

Funding for the 

course is derived 

partially from 

various grants 

while 50 cents is 

contributed to 

the program 

from every new 

state vehicle 

driver’s license fee.
46

Publicity:

Various methods have been used to promote the Nevada Elementary

Traffic Safety Program Instructor Course:

• Handouts at information booths at fairs and public events

• Bulletins sent to police officers by their departments

• Notices sent to teachers by school district in-service 

training coordinators
47

Program title: Teaching Safe Bicycling (TSB)

Organization: Wisconsin Department of Transportation

Contact: JoAnne Pruitt Thunder,

Wisconsin Department of Transportation

Peter Flucke, President of WE BIKE 

Contact information: JoAnne Pruitt Thunder: 608-267-3154 

joanne.pruitt, thunder@dot.state.wi.us

Peter Flucke: 920-497-3196,

webike@aol.com

Program start date: 1991

Target audience: Bicycle safety instructors, including police 

officers, school teachers, and others who 

instruct elementary and middle school 

students

Program length: Eight hours (one day)

Program summary:

The Teaching Safe Bicycling program is a one-day instructor’s course for

people who want to teach bicycle safety to elementary and middle

school-age children. It is offered three times per year and sponsored

by the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (DOT). This free course

is taught by two instructors and divided into two parts. In the morning,

participants learn about the mental and physical development stages

of children and how "just being a kid" can put them at risk. The 13-

minute AAA video Children In Traffic is shown. This video examines how

children are physiologically and behaviorally more vulnerable than

adults to bicycle crashes. For example, children have less 

discriminating hearing, poor depth perception, and a poor sense of

danger. The leading causes of bicycle crashes are reviewed and actual

crashes from police reports are diagrammed on a "crash board" (2’ x 4’

hinged metal sheet painted to look like neighborhood streets with

small movable magnetic toy cars).

In the afternoon, participants learn how to set up a bicycle rodeo. Six

children, ages nine through 11, are run through the course while the

participants first observe and then participate in the instruction of the

children. Emphasis is placed on teaching children how to avoid the

greatest risks. Proper helmet fitting and bicycle safety checks are covered prior to on-bike instruction. The following skills are taught to the

children:

• Braking 

• Scanning over the shoulder for traffic

• Signaling
48

• Riding out of driveways

• Stopping at a stop sign

• Avoiding obstacles

• Entering, exiting and re-entering the flow of traffic

Next, the participants do a group ride through the community, stopping frequently to discuss different types of crashes and where and

why they happen. The three E’s of traffic safety – engineering, education, and enforcement – are discussed. On the bicycle ride, instructor

trainees experience first-hand the dangers children encounter on the

streets. The bicycle ride also gives riding practice to instructors who

might otherwise be out of practice.

The workshop ends with a group discussion about how community

policing can help make children safer and what participants can do to

work for a safer bicycling environment.

A course outline and other supplemental literature are provided for the

participants to use in preparing their bicycle safety courses.

Funding:

Funding to create the course was provided from a Section 402 Federal

Highway Administration grant through the Wisconsin DOT. This limited

funding allows the course to be offered only three times annually.

Publicity:

The course is promoted by the Wisconsin DOT via a newsletter that is

mailed to numerous people on their mailing list. However, the majority

of participants learn about the course through word-of-mouth.

Successes:

Approximately 60 instructors are trained in this

course per year. Verbal and written participant

feedback has shown that the course has been very

well received. In addition, many successful bicycle

rodeos have been conducted by TSB course 

participants.

Instructor trainees should bike and discuss different

types of crash scenarios.

Participants ride 

through the community, stopping 

frequently to 

discuss different

types of crashes

and where and 

why they happen.

The trainees experience first hand the

dangers children 

encounter on the 

streets.
49

Challenges:

Because of limited time and resources, it is difficult to teach enough

classes. Currently, the Wisconsin DOT is only funding three courses

annually. In addition, there is no budget for publicity for the courses.

Therefore, notifying the public to fill the classes can be difficult.

Finding appropriate venues in which to hold the course can sometimes

be challenging as well.
50

Program title: Home to School Safe Travel for Children 

(Train-the-Trainer course)

Organization: Colorado Department of Transportation

Contact: Gay Page, CDOT Bicycle/Pedestrian 

Program Manager

Contact information: 303-757-9982, gay.page@dot.state.co.us

Program start date: 1995

Target audience: Teachers, police officers, fire department 

staff, and other professionals who teach 

bicycle and pedestrian safety to children,

grades K-5

Program length: Two days

Program summary:

This two-day course teaches bicycle and pedestrian safety instructors

how to design their own bicycle and/or pedestrian safety program for

children in kindergarten through fifth grade. Pedestrian safety is

emphasized for earlier ages and bicycle safety is emphasized for the

older children. The course focuses on developing children’s decisionmaking skills to become more predictable and competent bicyclists in

traffic. The objective is for each participant to be able to design a traffic

safety program that fits his or her needs. Day One consists of lecture

and hands-on activities, while Day Two consists of showing how to

teach individual exercises. Methods include problem-solving exercises,

peer training, role-playing, simulations, and demonstrations. Each participant receives a training binder that contains all of the curriculum

materials, including the teacher’s guide and exercises.

The course starts with a written quiz to determine each participant’s

level of knowledge. Topics consist of the following: children as pedestrians, why bicycles crash, bicycle riding, training events, visibility,

helmet fitting, Colorado bicycle and pedestrian laws, bicycle safety

games, and local resources available.

Evaluation:

No money has been available to do follow-up evaluation studies.

However, a course evaluation feedback form has provided useful information for improving the course.

Funding:

A combination of U.S. Department of Transportation and State funds

have been used to fund this program through the Colorado Department

of Transportation.

The course 

focuses on 

developing childrens’ decisionmaking skills to 

become more 

predictable and 

competent bicyclists in traffic.
51

Publicity:

Initially, police departments, fire departments, and other community

organizations were contacted by mail, telephone and in person.

Afterwards, availability of this course has spread by word-of-mouth.

Currently, the program is very popular.

Successes:

Instructors have found that participants typically are enthusiastic and

highly responsive, and they learn the most during the hands-on and

simulation activities.

Challenges:

For the Home to School Safe Travel for Children Train-the-Trainer course,

the most challenging aspect is adapting to the diversity of agendas

among the numerous participants. Some participants want to focus on

a specific age group, or some have limitations regarding the class time

available with the students. For example, one participant may want to

develop a one-hour course and another may want to develop a sixhour course. Some participants want canned, ready-made course

materials given to them instead of a variety of tools that allow them to

design their own classes. The solution to this diversity of agendas is for

the instructor to prompt the participants to define and state their goals

and time restrictions up front. The instructor can attempt to customize

the lecture and activities as much as possible to meet each participant’s needs. This will at least minimize hidden agendas that could

become a problem. Also, with numerous different agendas, in order to

minimize disruption it is important that the number of participants in

the class not exceed 20.

Instructors have 

found that participants typically 

are most enthusiatic,

highly responsive, and learn the 

most during the 

hands-on and simulation activities.
52

Planning Your Program

This section describes lessons that can be learned from the bicycle

safety education programs surveyed in the previous section. The

Planning Your Program section is divided into subsections that cover

the following topics:

• Funding Your Program – This subsection describes 

Federal Section 402 funding, as well as the other types of 

funding sources that programs have used. In addition, this

subsection includes basic tips for finding alternative 

funding sources as well as preparing and organizing 

information for writing grant proposals.

• Bicycle Safety Education in the Public Schools – This 

subsection discusses how programs have been accepted 

into public schools and the rationale for their acceptance.

• Developing Partnerships – This subsection provides 

examples of partnerships and offers ideas for partnering 

that might enhance a bicycle program.

• Alternative Venues and Subjects – This subsection 

examines programs surveyed, including educational goals 

and methods that include and extend beyond those in 

a conventional bicycle safety curriculum.

• Evaluation Methods – This 

subsection describes the 

purpose of evaluation in 

educational programs and 

the various evaluation 

methods that may be 

appropriate in bicycle safety

education.

• Publicity – This subsection 

describes effective examples of how organizations 

have gained publicity for 

their program and for safe 

bicycling practices in 

general.

Detailed information about each topic is presented in the following

subsections.

Adults should encourage safe–bicycling practices.
53

Funding Your Program

Funding is the lifeblood of a bicycle safety education program. The

more dependent a program is on outside funding sources, the less 

likely the program will be sustained during the long term.

Unfortunately, most bicycle safety programs are dependent upon outside sources of funding. This being the case, program staff must be creative about obtaining funding for development purposes, and must

dedicate themselves to obtaining additional funding on a regular basis

to sustain the program over succeeding years.

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Section 402 Highway

Safety funds are usually available through the State Department of

Transportation or the State Governor’s Highway Safety Representative.

The pedestrian/bicycle safety coordinator for each state has information on how to apply for Section 402 funds. (To locate the

pedestrian/bicycle safety coordinator for your state, refer to

www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/bikeped/bipedcor.htm .) These U.S.

DOT funds are made available to states for traffic safety projects. (For

more information on U.S. DOT bicycle and pedestrian funding programs, refer to Bicycle and Pedestrian Provisions of Federal

Transportation Legislation on the internet at www.fhwa.dot.gov/

environment/bikeped/BP-Guid.htm .) Generally, these funds are available for the first one to three years of a program’s life and can be used

for development costs and possibly for equipment purchasing costs.

Often, Section 402 funds are not sufficient to fully implement the program, depending upon its budgetary needs. Therefore, depending on

the size of the program, additional funding may be required, even for

developmental purposes.

Funding is also available from the Federal Transportation

Enhancements Program for the provision of safety and educational

activities for the pedestrians and bicyclists. The State Department of

Transportation bicycle/pedestrian coordinators can be contacted for

more information.

Ten of the sixteen programs surveyed obtained start-up grants from

the Section 402 program. All of the programs surveyed, whether or not

they obtained Section 402 funds, have required or will require 

additional funding sources. (The exception is the Effective Cycling/

Road I course run by the Massachusetts Bicycle Council, which is selfsustaining. The $60 student fee covers all instructor costs.)

Of the rest of the programs surveyed, only the Florida Traffic and

Bicycle Safety Education Program has obtained stable funding that is

not dependent on outside sources. After several years of temporary

Section 402 funds that had to be reapplied for annually, the Florida

Department of Transportation instituted funding for the program as

part of its standard annual training budget. The Director’s position was

also created as a University of Florida faculty position. However, the

Florida program is the exception; the vast majority of bicycle safety

programs must look to outside sources for funding.

Program staff 

must be creative 

about obtaining 

funding and must 

dedicate themselves to obtaining 

it on a regular 

basis to sustain the 

program over succeeding years.
54

Sample Funding Sources

Below is a sample list of the funding sources that some of the surveyed

bicycle safety education programs have acquired:

• BikeEd, Hawaii: grants from Honolulu city and county;

revenue from city bicycle licensing fees

• Bicycle Safety Education Program, Maine: membership dues

to the Bicycle Coalition of Maine

• Recycle a Bike, New York: New York City Department of 

Sanitation (based on bicycle recycling activity); revenue 

from participant-run retail bicycle shops (repairs and sales)

• SuperCyclist, Texas: Subaru of America, Inc. (funding and 

two cars)

• BIPED, Wilmington, Delaware: 4-H Cooperative Extension 

Service (served as an agent for acquiring grants from 

numerous small organizations)

• Helmet Your Brain – Avoid the Pain, Phoenix Children's 

Hospital: community fund-raising events; sales of this educational program

• Bike Lesson And Safety Training (BLAST), Los Angeles,

California: California State Department of Health Services;

membership dues to Youth Educational Sports (YES) 

Foundation

• Kids on Bikes, Reno, Nevada: U.S. Environmental Protection 

Agency (based on bicycle recycling program)

This variety of sources illustrates how important creativity is when

identifying potential funding sources.

Tips for Finding and Preparing Grants

Below are some general tips on how to locate potential grant source

organizations and prepare for the grant application process.

1. Identify key topic or program areas related to your program (for example, transportation, sports, recreation, child 

injury prevention). Then identify organizations that 

serve those program areas (for example, state department of transportation, auto manufacturers, bicycle 

manufacturers, bicycle stores, sports organizations,

hospitals, and insurance companies).
55

2. Prepare information that will be used in a proposal or 

presentation.

A. State the problem. Prepare a description of the

problem that your bicycle safety program will 

address. Use real, quantitative data. For example,

cite numbers of bicycle-related injuries and 

deaths. (National fatality and injury data is available at www-fars.nhtsa.dot.gov .)

B. Describe specifically how your program relates to 

the program areas and interests of each organization that you identified in Step A.

C. State your solution to the problem. Describe the 

bicycle safety education program, its overall goal,

and write a list of objectives. Use the "SMART" 

rule of thumb to write objectives. Objectives 

should be:

Specific

Measurable

Attainable

Realistic

Time-bound

D. State specifically how the program will meet each

objective.

E. Describe the evaluation methods for measuring 

how successful the program is at attaining the 

stated objectives. The methods should be 

designed to produce quantitative data. Most 

funding organizations prefer that quantitative 

data be included in grant proposals.

F. Describe why the proposed program staff are 

qualified to carry out the program. Prepare staff 

resumes.

G. Develop the program budget in detail.

3. Contact the potential funding source organizations that 

you identified in Step A. Many organizations will have

public relations staff that oversee grant programs. Even a 

small organization that generally does not have a grant 

program may be a potential funding source. If you have 

prepared your information, as described in Step B above,

you may be able to convince such an organization that 

your program and its mission are a worthwhile 

investment.

Even a small

organization that

generally does not

have a grant program may be a

potential funding

source.
56

4. Sustain the program over the long term – this can be 

challenging. A key to getting continued support is 

“reinventing" the program as new funding cycles 

approach. In other words, over time, the program should 

evolve in phases. All the ideas for the program should not 

be stated in the same grant proposal. Be prepared to shift 

the focus of your program or expand it to involve other 

partner organizations.

Bicycle Safety Education in Public Schools

A common theme among most bicycle safety education programs surveyed for this guide is that they target youths in schools. For example,

of the sixteen programs surveyed, twelve programs target youths at

schools or, through instructor training, prepare instructors who will

teach youths at schools. Of the thirteen programs targeting school

youths, twelve contain lessons for elementary school children, six contain lessons for middle-school children, and four contain materials for

high school youths. (Most of these programs have more than one audience.) Keep in mind that bicycle safety curricula should be developmentally appropriate. Because schools have the organizational infrastructure in place, many bicycle safety educators believe that public

schools are a natural venue for bicycle safety education. Two of the sixteen programs surveyed are not school-based, but have ageappropriate lessons for elementary, middle, and high school age

youths.

A second common theme is that bicycle (and pedestrian) safety education should be incorporated into the public school curriculum from

early elementary grades through high school as a continuous educational experience that promotes biking and walking as healthy, safe,

lifelong activities.

However, competition for the time and attention of teachers overburdened by requirements of other high-visibility academic curricula (like

math, English, and science) makes it difficult to convince some school

administrators of the need for bicycle safety in schools. This provides

the rationale for creating programs like bicycle riding clubs and afterschool clubs, such as the After School Bike Club in the City of Madison,

Wisconsin and the Ride Club that’s part of the Recycle a Bike program in

New York City. These non-school-based programs can also be advantageous because they are not restricted to narrow curriculum topics,

methods, or time limitations of a typical school. (Refer to Alternative

Venues and Subjects on page 60).

Many programs have been successful in convincing school administrators that they need to implement a bicycle safety program. Following

are some reasons that various program staff have successfully offered

as rationale for bringing bicycle safety into public schools:

A common theme 

is that bicycle safety education should 

be incorporated 

into the public 

school curriculum 

from early elementary grades 

through high 

school as a continuous educational 

experience that

promotes biking 

and walking as 

healthy, safe, lifelong activities.
57

• A public health and safety issue – Bicycle safety is a 

major public health and safety issue. In 2000, bicyclists 

under age 16 accounted for 28 percent of all bicyclists 

killed and 40 percent of those injured in traffic-related 

bicycle crashes in the United States. (This and other 

bicycle injury-related data can be downloaded on an 

Adobe PDF document on NHTSA Web site:

www-fars.nhtsa.dot.gov/pubs/9.pdf .) Even though some 

students don't ride bicycles, many do and bicycle safety 

education can modify the bicycle riding behaviors that 

lead to crashes. For a comprehensive list of Web site links 

to data on bicycle-related injuries and fatalities, refer to the

following Harbor View Medical Center Injury and Research 

Center Web sites:

depts.washington.edu/hiprc/links/transportation.htm

and 

depts.washington.edu/hiprc/childinjury/topic/bicycles/ .

• Helmet use education can reduce head injuries and 

fatalities – Most children do not wear helmets while riding bicycles, however wearing helmets and doing so properly is critical for their safety. The Insurance Institute for 

Highway Safety has reported that 90 percent of bicyclists 

killed in year 2000 were not wearing helmets 

(www.hwysafety.org/safety_facts/bikes.htm). NHTSA has 

reported that bicycle helmets are 85 to 88 percent effective in mitigating head and brain injuries in all types of 

bicycle incidents, making the use of helmets the single 

most effective countermeasure available to reduce head 

injuries and fatalities resulting from bicycle crashes

(www-fars.nhtsa.dot.gov/pubs/3.pdf ). The Centers for 

Disease Control has reported that 140,000 children are 

treated each year in emergency departments for head 

injuries sustained while bicycling. This and other

related data is available at:

www.cdc.gov/ncipc/factsheets/bikehel.htm .

Also on Harbor View Medical Center Injury and Research 

Center Web sites:

http://depts.washington.edu/hiprc/childinjury/topic/ 

bicycles/helmeteffect.html and 

http://depts.washington.edu/hiprc/childinjury/topic/

bicycles/helmeteduc.html . An increasing number of 

states (such as California and Florida) have enacted or are 

planning to enact child bicycle helmets laws. Therefore,

bicycle safety education that emphasizes proper helmet 

fitting and use should be taught in schools, where the 

information can reach the greatest number of youths.

(For state bicycle helmet law information, refer to: www.

hwysafety.org/safety_facts/state_laws/helmet_use.htm .)

Proper helmet use is always included

in bike safety education.
58

• A healthy, lifelong, inclusive sport – Bicycling is an 

athletic activity, a sport that can be taught in schools just 

like other traditional sports. Bicycling is an inclusive, noncompetitive sport in which all students, regardless of athletic ability or body type, can participate. It is also a lifelong health-promoting activity.

• Part of a physical education curriculum – Because of its 

injury prevention and physical sport and health aspects,

bicycle safety education fits comfortably into health and 

physical education curricula.

• An environmentally responsible alternative transportation – Children should be encouraged from a 

young age to ride bicycles as a preferable form of transportation whenever possible. Riding bicycles as an alternative method of transportation to motorized vehicles 

enhances community aesthetics and is advantageous for 

several reasons:

- Reduces air and sound pollution

- Reduces traffic congestion

- Is a fun, safe (when practicing safe bicycling), and 

healthy social activity

Refer to Alternative Venues and Subjects on page 60 for examples of 

progressive bicycle education programs that promote educational lessons beyond traditional bicycle safety.

Developing Partnerships

Developing partnerships with other organizations has proved useful

for promoting, among other things, the acceptance of bicycle safety

programs into public schools. For example, an elementary school bicycle safety program called BIPED was developed in 1988 as a successful

collaboration between two organizations. The White Clay Bicycle Club

in Wilmington, Delaware, created BIPED, then approached the

Cooperative Extension Service (CES) 4-H organization to help implement it. (CES is part of the University of Delaware’s Department of

Agriculture.) CES had already instituted school programs locally and

had established comfortable and trusting working relationships with

several local public schools. BIPED benefited from CES’s credibility in

the school community and was immediately embraced by schools.
59

CES handles all promotional and logistical aspects of the program,

including sending announcement letters to schools, scheduling classes,

and pre-class site visits to distribute materials. Also, CES has had

numerous years of experience in fundraising and was able to secure

grant money for BIPED from several sources.

Partnering with other school-affiliated organizations such as parent

teacher associations (PTAs) will help a program’s visibility and 

credibility with schools as well as attract attention from students’ parents. Parental support of the SuperCyclist program in Texas is, in large

part, due to its affiliation with PTAs and other credible organizations

such as the Texas Medical Association. This has helped its acceptance

into many school districts across Texas. As a result of these relationships, vast student populations are becoming available for participation

in the SuperCyclist program.

While partnering with other organizations can help a program increase

its visibility and credibility, it can also help gain access to many other

resources. Partnering with various community organizations can make

available knowledge about fundraising, publicity opportunities, equipment loans or donations, and other useful information, expertise, and

resources. Here are some additional organizations to consider when

seeking partnerships:

• Highway safety and injury prevention of organizations

• Local business associations

• Bicycle riding clubs

• Bicycle retail stores

• Bicycle manufacturers

• Radio stations and the local media

• American Red Cross

• Service organizations

• Health associations, hospitals, and HMOs

• Individual businesses

• Professional/semi-professional sport teams

For more information on establishing partnerships, obtain a copy of the

Ride Like a Pro Community Handbook (October 1999) available free from

NHTSA. Refer to:

www.nhtsa.dot.gov/people/outreach/media/catalog/index.cfm .

(Under Topics, select Bicycle and Helmet Safety, then select 6P0145, Ride

Like a Pro Community Handbook.)

While partnering 

with other organizations can help a 

program increase 

its visibility and 

credibility, it can 

also help gain 

access to many 

other resources.
60

Alternative Venues and Subjects

While not benefiting from a ready-made venue, student population, or

organizational infrastructure, non-school-based programs can have

advantages. Non-school-based programs are not restricted to narrow

curriculum topics, fixed instructional methods, or time limitations of a

typical school.

Off-Campus Programs

Schools are obviously not the only venues for bicycle safety education.

Community centers and park and recreation centers are common locations for bicycle safety classes for both youths and adults. For example,

the Massachusetts Bicycle Coalition conducts its adult bicycle safety

program, based on the League of American Bicyclists’ Effective

Cycling/Road I course, at local community centers several times a year.

The After School Bike Club, piloted during the summer of 2001 by the

City of Madison, Wisconsin, is also a program for middle school-age children. It has the explicit goal of having fun bicycle field trips, while

"sneaking in" the less attractive (to children) and implicit goal of teaching bicycle safety education along the way.

The Kids on Bikes program in Reno, Nevada, has traditional bicycle safety

and bicycle rodeo components, but also has nontraditional activities,

such as refurbishing and giving bicycles as well as helmets to underprivileged youths. Kids on Bikes activities are not currently being conducted in schools, but are being held at community centers, recreation

centers, and public events, including a "Child’s Fair" (in April 2000).

Progressive Bicycle Education Programs

Having the freedom to develop a youth program that is not part of a

school can be advantageous. Such a program is not restricted to public

school curriculum requirements, time frames, or geographical radius

limitations during bicycle rides. Innovative, progressive educational

programs that have bicycle safety at their core but also address broader

community values can and do succeed, and provide excellent opportunities for partnering with other groups that have compatible aims.

The Earn a Bike program and the Ride Club, both developed by Recycle a

Bike in New York City, have several educational goals in addition to bicycle safety. They teach environmental values, recycling, bicycle mechanics, retail business operation, and bicycling as a healthy, fun activity. This

is done through the program’s ride clubs, bicycle recycling, and bicycle

repair and sales shop. The Earn a Bike program also provides economically disadvantaged youths opportunities to earn bicycles. This program is headquartered in its bicycle repair and retail shop.

The Youth Educational Sports Foundation (YES) in Los Angeles supplements its Bicycle Lessons and Safety Transportation (BLAST) elementary,

middle and high school programs with summer activities that resemble

the Recycle a Bike program in New York City. Used, broken bicycles are

Non-school-based 

programs are not 

restricted to narrow curriculum 

topics, fixed 

instructional 

methods, or time 

limitations of a 

typical school.
61

donated to YES and youths learn how to repair the bicycles. A child

earns the bicycle when it passes a safety inspection. YES makes sure

that the bicycle earning program is available to economically underprivileged youths. These various activities usually take place in schools,

but some of the riding activities also occur in parks where the youths

can safely practice.

The Hawaii Bicycling League (HBL), which was started in 1989 and

sponsors the BikeEd Hawaii bicycle safety program, offers an excellent

example of an organization whose educational goals include but

extend beyond traditional bicycle safety. The efforts of HBL are driven

by a holistic, integrated vision of healthy livable communities in which

safe bicycling practice is one of many goals relating to quality of life. Its

Web site (www.hbl.org) states:

“HBL envisions Hawaii's neighborhoods as truly livable 

communities, where people of all ages can safely and 

comfortably arrive at their destinations no matter which 

transportation mode they may choose. HBL believes that 

cooperation among cyclists, pedestrians, and motorists is 

fundamental not only to increase transportation safety but 

also improve the quality of life for all of Hawaii's residents.”

The HBL sponsors several events and programs in areas such as:

• Pedestrian safety for first graders

• Non-competitive family cycling events

• Mountain biking competitions

• Mountain biking trail maintenance

• Technical assistance for decision–makers in the policy areas

of bicycle facility planning, transportation, and livable 

communities

• Political advocacy in transportation, planning, and bicycle 

and helmet legislation

For information on opportunities to plan and develop bicycle- and

pedestrian-friendly facilities in the community, refer to the FHWA Web

site: www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/bikeped/ . In addition, for information on creating livable neighborhoods that are designed in a manner that address the needs of all residents, including bicyclists and

pedestrians, refer to the Web site of the Local Government Commission

at.www.lgc.org .

Innovative, progressive educational programs 

that have bicycle 

safety at their 

core but also 

address broader 

community values 

can and do succeed. They may 

also provide

excellent opportunities for partnering with other 

groups that 

have compatible 

aims.
62

Evaluation Methods

Measuring the effectiveness of a bicycle safety education program provides information that is useful in two ways: (1) it can help in making

decisions about how to improve the program, and (2) it can be used to

demonstrate success in achieving stated objectives, which also supports further funding. Program sponsors are often very interested in

this data because it underscores the success of the program and may

identify the areas that need improvement and expansion. Some sponsors may not require evaluation methods beyond basic program participant counts and narrative summaries of the course. But the more rigorous the evaluation methods are in measuring results, the more

credible the program will be. This can increase the ability to improve

the program and benefit future funding activities. Two general types of

evaluations are discussed below: (1) evaluation of students’ knowledge

and skills retention, and (2) program evaluation.

Evaluation of Students’ Knowledge and Skills Retention

Most of the programs surveyed use written post-tests or a combination

of written pre-tests and post-tests, usually in multiple-choice, true/false,

and fill in the blank formats. When the pre-tests and post-tests are

used together, each student’s attainment of knowledge during the

course can be measured. Also common among the programs surveyed

are questionnaires completed by students and/or teachers. They provide feedback about how effective the program is and how it can be

improved. Another method for evaluating effectiveness is a student

on-bike skills demonstration test, which can usually be done at a 

bicycle rodeo.

Program Evaluation

Observations of bicycle operation, helmet use, and following rules of

the road can be objectively documented. Observers can be posted at

high congestion areas near the school, such as the parking lot and

playground. Ideally, the data is collected before training and at different post-training intervals – for example, immediate, one month, and

three months – to indicate the degree to which the skills, knowledge,

and abilities are retained over time. Finally, pre- and post-training information about bicycle-related injury and death rates can be collected

for a given training population that may indicate the degree to which

safety skills are being practiced. However, this data requires a vast population for the results to be statistically significant, and the methodological difficulties of this data collection can be a challenge.

The more rigorous 

the evaluation 

methods are in 

measuring results,

the more credible 

the program will 

be. This can 

increase the ability 

to improve the 

program and benefit future funding 

activities.
63

Publicity

Publicity is often critical to the success of a bicycle safety education

program. However, program budgets rarely include advertising.

Therefore, publicity for a bicycle safety education program requires 

creative approaches. Word-of-mouth, especially after a program is

established, can be powerful publicity. Newly developed programs

usually require more proactive efforts in getting publicity because the

general public’s knowledge of the program and word-of-mouth networks do not yet exist. Calling and visiting schools and potentially

interested organizations is a good starting point. For example, BikeEd

in Hawaii had to contact schools and make presentations during its

formative years in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Currently, the program is so popular among schools that schools must reserve the program one year in advance. Its broad popularity is largely due to the

word-of-mouth networks that have developed over the years.

Following is a list of publicity methods used by the various programs

surveyed. Except for the time spent to develop them, most of these

methods are free or very inexpensive.

• Contact organizations by phone

• Make presentations in person

• Send information through the school internal mail system 

or teacher newsletters

• Enlist the service of television and radio stations to make 

public service broadcasts

• Publicize program activities in member organizations 

newsletters, e-mail newsletters, and events calendars

• Create and display posters and flyers in public places 

• Create and sell or give away promotional T-shirts 

(advertising the program and its Web site)

• Send press releases to and/or call newspapers, magazines 

(bicycle and other), television, radio and other news 

agencies so that program events may be covered

• Design bumper stickers and flyers and give them out 

during events

• Enlist sports arenas, fields, or stadiums to make public 

service announcements (for example, baseball game 

intercom announcements)

Partnerships with other organizations, as mentioned previously, can

lead to excellent publicity opportunities. For example, the Safe

Children Coalition of Maricopa County, Arizona, in cooperation with

county schools and the Diamondbacks professional baseball organization, conduct an annual helmet design contest among fourth through

Newly developed 

programs usually 

require more 

proactive efforts 

in getting publicity 

because the general 

public knowledge 

of the program and 

word-of-mouth 

networks do not yet 

exist.
64

sixth graders across the county. Letters are sent to school principals

and art and physical education teachers that contain information about

the Helmet Your Brain–Avoid the Pain© program and a blank drawing of a

bicycle helmet. Students draw a helmet design using Diamondback

colors. Thousands of entries are received and a panel of judges selects

five finalists.

At a Diamondbacks baseball game, fans vote for their favorite helmet

artwork based on the five designs viewed on the jumbo screen. A public service announcement encouraging helmet use and a promotion of

the Helmet Your Brain–Avoid the Pain© program is also made by the

announcer during the game and at other baseball games for months

before and after the contest. The winning design is made into customhelmet decals by a graphics company that donates its services.

Helmets adorned with the winning design are given to the winner's

classmates and teacher, and the four other finalists. During the next

baseball game, the winner and finalists bicycle into the ballpark and

participate in a pre-game on-field ceremony wearing the winning

design helmets and T-shirts, and the winner is presented with a trophy.

In this case, a fun activity (the helmet design contest) was created as a

way to generate publicity about the program to deliver a valuable public service message (wear bicycle helmets). The Diamondbacks baseball

organization readily cooperates by spreading the public service 

message about helmets and the educational program, lending their

high visibility name and the use of the jumbo screen to broadcast the

message. This effort has greatly increased demand for the program in

schools throughout the region. It also helps counter the negative 

stigma among children about wearing helmets and spreads the message that helmets really are "cool."

Conclusion

Starting a bicycle safety education program should be a team effort.

Recruiting supporters, such as program staff members, public schools,

or funding organizations, can be one of the biggest challenges in the

early stages of development. A key to gaining the attention of potential supporters is to develop a solid rationale for the program’s existence. Your grant proposals, presentations, or other startup documentation should include the reasons for the existence of the program.

Specifically state what problem (or problems) in the community the

program addresses, for example, bicycle-related injuries. Use statistics

or other data available to illuminate and quantify the problem. Then

state how the implementation of your program may improve the stated problem through demonstrably attainable goals and objectives.

This information will provide the foundation for why your program

should be implemented and what you intend to accomplish.
65

Funding is critical to the life of a program. A major concern for educators is how to sustain funding for a program after it has been created.

Federal "Section 402" money was used for startup costs for most of the

programs surveyed. Your program may be eligible for Federal Section

402 funding, but only for developmental costs in the program’s initial

stages. (The pedestrian/bicycle safety coordinator for each state has

information on how to apply for Section 402 funds.) Other sources of

funding will be required to sustain the

program, so your team will need to

be creative about obtaining funding

in succeeding years.

Partnering with schools obviously

can benefit a bicycle safety education

program. Schools provide the readymade venue, student population,

organizational infrastructure, and

human and other critical resources.

Partnering with other organizations

that have mutual interests can also

help a bicycle safety program succeed. For instance, partnerships can

help increase a program’s visibility

and credibility, as well as gain access

to equipment, knowledge, funding,

publicity, and other resources. A

majority of the programs surveyed

are based in public schools. However,

some educators may have difficulty

convincing school administrators to

incorporate bicycle education into

their school curricula. When

approaching school administrators,

be prepared to point out how a bicycle education program can be beneficial to both the school and the students.

An innovative educational program

that takes a nontraditional approach

to bicycling can generate a great deal

of excitement and interest among

educators, participants, parents, and

other community members. Some of

the programs surveyed include educational goals and methods that

extend beyond a conventional bicycle safety curriculum. These programs use bicycling as an educational vehicle for addressing other

areas like health and physical fitness, business skills, mechanical skills,

Checklist: Developing a Bicycle Safety 

Education Program*

• Establish the need for the program

• Demonstrate how the program addresses 

this need to potential supporters, partici

pants, and institutions 

• Develop program goals, objectives, and 

evaluation methods

• Develop grant proposals or other funding 

requests and obtain funding 

• Prepare program content

• Obtain equipment and use of facilities

• Hire staff

• Publicize program activities

• Schedule programs/register participants

• Conduct the course

• Conduct follow-up participant activities

• Conduct evaluation activities

*This checklist is not all-inclusive and the steps

are not necessarily sequential.
66

and environment/recycling issues. In addition, some programs seek to

legitimize bicycling as a sport that should be taught in schools just like

other traditional sports.

Program evaluation may serve different purposes. It can provide information about how well the lessons are understood, demonstrated, and

retained by the participants. Evaluation data can measure the degree

to which the learning objectives are attained. This data may be useful

in improving a program and for justifying its existence and continuation to sponsors.

Finally, a program’s visibility in the community is often critical to its 

continuation and success. Many parents, youths, school administrators,

and members of the community in general are not aware of the importance of bicycle safety education. The public needs to be educated

about the importance of bicycle safety in their neighborhoods so that

demand and support can be generated. Most programs do not have

an advertising budget, so an organization needs to be creative in how

it publicizes its activities.

Good luck in your efforts to help build a bicycle-safe community!

For more information about this document, contact Tamara Broyhill at

(202) 366-4077 or by e-mailing tamara.broyhill@fhwa.dot.gov.
67