Hospital to Promote Bicycle Safety

(ANTIGO, WI)—(May 4, 2006)—“Gearing up” mentally before bicycling, skating or scooter riding is just as important as gearing up physically.  In an effort to avoid and reduce serious bicycle injuries, Langlade Memorial Hospital will once again be promoting bicycle safety to first grade students in the school districts of Antigo, Elcho, Birnamwood and White Lake. 

LMH emergency department personnel, under the direction of Sue McVey, RN and manager of the Emergency Department, will visit area elementary schools and nearly 300 first-graders to help children understand the importance of using a safe bike and riding safely, to understand traffic laws and the basic bicycle safety guidelines, and the importance of bicycle helmets.  “Every first grade student will be properly fitted for and presented with a free bicycle helmet along with bike safety information.” said Sue McVey, Manger of Emergency Services at Langlade Memorial Hospital.  “A local helmet program can help make helmets seem “cool” to kids, and they may show less resistance to wearing a helmet while riding a bike, a scooter or while blading/skating.”

Why do you need a bicycle helmet?

A recent national research study has shown that every year in the United States:

1. Head injuries in bicyclists are noted in 65,000 emergency room cases; 7,700 hospital admissions; 40% of bicyclists admitted to hospitals; 70% to 80% of fatally injured bicyclists.
2. Bicyclists hospitalized with head injuries are 20 times likely to die as those without.
3. Bicyclist injury rates are highest between ages 5-15.
4. 56% of fatally inured bicyclists are age 20 or older.
5. Death rates for male bicyclists ages 20-54 have substantially increased in recent years.

There is no obligation for this community injury prevention program, and the hospital will ask nothing in return from the children, parents, or the school… other than safer and better-informed parents and children riding their bicycles.  “This program is our gift to the community in hope of reducing the number of children who visit emergency rooms every year because of bicycle injuries,” said Dave Schneider, Executive Director of Langlade Memorial Hospital.  “We are offering this program to our community as a gift of service and we hope the parents, guardians, and children enjoy this program as much as we enjoy giving the gift of safety and education to our communities.” 

The hospital program is a prelude to the Antigo Optimist Club’s Bike Safety Rodeo, which will be held at the Langlade County Fair Grounds.