SAFE KIDS of Sonoma County Coalition wants to help kids stay safe while bicycling. The Coalition maintains a Helmet Bank to promote the use of bike helmets and helmets for all wheeled sports. Properly fitted helmets have been shown to reduce the risk of death or head injury by over 80%. And the law requires that children under 18 wear a properly fitted helmet while riding on a bike, skateboard, skates or scooter. Adults need to protect themselves from head injury and model this health behavior for children by wearing helmets too.
Free bike helmets are awarded to qualified groups and organizations in Sonoma County. All child-serving not-for-profit organizations with the capacity to identify and serve low-income children living in Sonoma County are eligible to apply.
Organizations receiving helmets must:
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Receive free training in proper bike helmet fitting if needed
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Identify children under age 18 from low-income households
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Fit all helmets to the individual children who receive them
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Provide appropriate safety messages with each helmet
To ensure a proper fit, all helmets given through the SAFE KIDS of Sonoma County Helmet Bank must be fitted on each child by a trained person. Education information and brochures in English and Spanish are provided with each helmet award. All-sports helmets are usually available if needed. Contact us to learn of training opportunities.
If your organization would like to apply for helmets from the Helmet Bank, please complete the linked application.
Or contact::
SAFE KIDS of Sonoma County
475 Aviation Boulevard, Suite 210
Santa Rosa, CA 95403
(707) 565-6680 Phone
(707) 565-6619 FAX
Bike Rodeo Kit
A bike rodeo is a bicycle safety clinic featuring bike safety inspections and education. It gives children the opportunity to practice the rules of the road in a safe and fun learning environment. A main attraction is a "bike safety skills course," miniature streets marked with chalk or traffic cones where young people can practice safe bike riding skills. Rodeos can also include helmet fitting, lectures or videos on safe biking behavior, games, drawings, and many other activities. Volunteers from many different community organizations are available to help with your rodeo. Please see the Bicycle Safety Resources guide for a complete list.
Free for Your Organization to Use!
The Bicycle Safety Action Team, a subcommittee of SAFE KIDS of Sonoma, is committed to promoting bike rodeos as a way of increasing children’s knowledge and safe riding skills. We have compiled a "Bike Safety Rodeo Kit," comprised of the information and equipment necessary for successfully conducting a bike rodeo. The kit includes traffic signs, cones, equipment for making ID or "bicyclist license" cards, a manual for conducting your bike rodeo, promotional masters, and other items. Any child-serving organization can apply to borrow the kit (see the linked application).
For More Information
For more information about the Bike Safety Rodeo Kit, free bike helmets, or adopting a Bike Safety Policy for your organization, please contact Beth Dadko at 565-6678 or bdadko@sonoma-county.org , County of Sonoma, Department of Health Services, Prevention and Planning Division.
