Dozens of Bernalillo County kids are transported to local emergency rooms each year with head injuries—many of which could have been prevented with the use of bike helmets, experts say.
With that in mind, the Bernalillo County Fire & Rescue Department in cooperation with the Sheriff’s Department, the Albuquerque Fire and Police Departments, the City of Albuquerque, and the New Mexico State Police, will host “A Day of Safety” on Saturday, July 12, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Coronado Shopping Mall’s southeast parking lot in Albuquerque.
The event is free and open to public. It will feature lots of bike helmets that will be given away to bikers, roller bladers, skate boarders, and motor scooter riders.
“New Mexico passed a law on July 1, 2007, that anyone 18 or younger riding a motorized or non-motorized unit must wear a helmet,” says Bernalillo County Fire Chief John A. Garcia. “We have received grants that provided helmets and we want to give those away to the kids in our community.”
There will also be fire trucks and simulated rescues, a climbing wall, DWI and K-9 units, mounted police, and a bike rodeo with an obstacle course and prizes at Saturday’s event. This coincides with National Safety Month which is celebrated in July and sponsored by the National Safety Council. The council reports that “after years of decline, the rate of unintentional injuries and deaths in the U.S.has risen to new and unacceptable levels.”
“Every four minutes, someone is killed as a result of a preventable injury,” the council says. “By dramatically reducing the leading risks to our safety and health, we can reverse this trend and save hundreds of thousands of lives and billions of dollars.”
7/10/2008