October 16, 2020 | New Jersey Health Initiatives
Tiffany Neal | Building Bridges to Better Health
As posted on New Jersey Health Initiatives
As kids enjoy the pleasant weather, bike safety needs to be a priority. New Jersey state law requires all children under age 17 to wear a bike helmet while riding. During the summer, Bound Brook Police Chief Vito Bet noticed that many children were biking without helmets and grew concerned about the potential for injuries.
Chief Bet recalled a tragic accident in a neighboring town and wanted to do more to promote bike safety in Bound Brook. He reached out to the “Building Bridges to Better Health” (BBBH) team, looking for both helmets and safety education.
In partnership with the Bound Brook Police Department and BBBH partner RideWise, we planned a family bike safety event at a local park this summer, in compliance with COVID-19 restrictions. During the event, RideWise Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Manager Jon Dugan provided safety education to kids and their families. The event also included a helmet fitting and bike safety check. The BBBH coalition donated 20 bike helmets to distribute to kids who didn’t have one, helping to promote street safety. In addition, we also distributed face masks and COVID-related health information to attendees.
“Our team is grateful for the opportunity to promote health and safety in the community,” said Serena Collado, director of community health for Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Somerset. To learn more about the BBBH team’s areas of focus for building a healthier community and partner in this work, connect with Project Director Serena Collado.