FHWA
Good Practices Guidefor Bicycle Safety Education
FHWA
Good Practices Guide
for Bicycle Safety Education
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
Background and Purpose [Table of Contents]
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 [Table of Contents]
The Good Practices Guide consists of three primary sections: Case Studies, Good Practices, and Conclusion.
Case Studies [Table of Contents]
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 [Table of Contents]
During the interviews, various bicycle-related topics were emphasized. However, all interviews included the following questions:
Case Studies Quick Reference [Table of Contents]
Sixteen case studies of bicycle safety programs are organized under the following three headings:
| Elementary, Middle, and/or High School Age Programs: [Return to Quick Reference] [Table of Contents] | |
| BikeEd Hawaii | One week (five 45-minute sessions) on-bike program for fourth grade students |
| Bicycle Safety Education Program (BSE) | One-hour classroom presentation for third through fifth grade students |
| BIPED | 45-minute classroom presentation for kindergarten through fifth grade students |
| Bicycle Safety and Awareness Program | Seven- to ten-hour on-bike program for fourth through seventh grade students |
| Kids on Bikes | Two-hour classroom/on-bike program for elementary school-age children |
| After School Bike Club | Eight 90 minute on-bike sessions for middle school-age children |
| Bike Lesson and Safety Training Program (BLAST) | Two-hour classroom/on-bike program for elementary, middle school, and high school-age students |
| Earn a Bike and Ride Club | 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 |
| Sprockids | Flexible ten-week program (two one-hour sessions per week) for elementary through high school-age students |
|
|
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| Effective Cycling/Road I | 20 hours (five four-hour sessions) on-bike program for adults (primarily) and teenagers |
Train-the-Trainer Programs: [Return to Quick Reference] [Table of Contents] |
|
| Texas SuperCyclist Project (Instructor Training) | One-day workshop instructing bicycle safety for teachers of fourth and fifth grades |
| Florida Traffic and Bicycle Safety Education Program | 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 |
| Helmet Your Brain – Avoid the Pain© Helmet Education Program | 90-minute program for teachers of primary, elementary, and middle school children |
| Nevada Elementary Traffic Safety Program Instructor Course | Two-day workshop for law enforcement officers, teachers, and other community volunteers who teach bicycle safety to children of any age |
| Teaching Safe Bicycling (TSB) | One-day workshop for bicycle safety instructors, including police officers, school teachers and others who instruct elementary and middle school students |
| Home to School Safe Travel for Children (Train-the-Trainer course) | Two-day workshop for teachers, police officers, fire department staff, and other professionals who teach bicycle and pedestrian safety to children grades K-5 |
Elementary, Middle, and/or High School-Age Programs [Return to Quick Reference] [Table of Contents]
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.
These lessons are based on the Effective Cycling/Road I course available
from the League of American Bicyclists.
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 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:
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.
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.
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.
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.
hour
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.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.
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.While each of the three programs emphasize different age-appropriate information, all cover the following nine topics:
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:
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.
Funding: The BLAST program applied for and received three grants:
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.
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:
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.
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 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:
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.
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.recycleabicycle.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.
Adult Programs [Return to Quick Reference] [Table of Contents]
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. Train-the-Trainer Programs [Return to Quick Reference] [Table of Contents]
 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. |
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 pre-test, 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Publicity: Various methods have been used to promote the Nevada Elementary Traffic Safety Program Instructor Course:
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.
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.
Planning Your Program [Table of Contents]
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:
Bicycle
Safety Education in Public Schools – This subsection discusses
how programs have been accepted into public schools and the rationale for
their acceptance.Detailed information about each topic is presented in the following subsections.
Funding Your Program [Planning Your Program] [Table of Contents]
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 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 self-sustaining. 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.
Sample Funding Sources [Planning Your Program] [Table of Contents]
Below is a sample list of the funding sources that some of the surveyed bicycle safety education programs have acquired:
This variety of sources illustrates how important creativity is when identifying potential funding sources.
Tips for Finding and Preparing Grants [Planning Your Program] [Table of Contents]
Below are some general tips on how to locate potential grant source organizations and prepare for the grant application process.
Bicycle Safety Education in Public Schools [Planning Your Program] [Table of Contents]
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 age-appropriate 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 after-school 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).
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:
depts.washington.edu/hiprc/childinjury/topic/bicycles/.Refer to Alternative Venues and Subjects for examples of progressive bicycle education programs that promote educational lessons beyond traditional bicycle safety.
Developing Partnerships [Planning Your Program] [Table of Contents]
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.
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:
For more information on establishing partnerships, obtain a copy of the Ride Like a Pro Community Handbook (October 1999) available free from NHTSA..(Under Topics, select Bicycle and Helmet Safety, then select 6P0145, Ride Like a Pro Community Handbook.)
Alternative Venues and Subjects [Planning Your Program] [Table of Contents]
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 [Planning Your Program] [Table of Contents]
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 [Planning Your Program] [Table of Contents]
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 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 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:
For information on opportunities to plan and develop bicycle- and pedestrian-friendly facilities in the community, refer to the FHWA Web site. 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.
Evaluation Methods [Planning Your Program] [Table of Contents]
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 [Planning Your Program] [Table of Contents]
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 [Planning Your Program] [Table of Contents]
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.
Publicity [Planning Your Program] [Table of Contents]
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.
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 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 custom-helmet 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 [Table of Contents]
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.
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 ready-made 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, 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.