‘Put a Lid on It’ campaign encourages use of bike helmets
The American Academy of Pediatrics is currently in the midst of its annual Put a Lid on It campaign. The effort is designed to provide free helmets to organizations statewide that work closely with youth. Application for the helmets is open through March 2.
While the phrase “put a lid on it” may sound like a parent reprimanding their outspoken child, it takes on an entirely different meaning when it comes to the American Academy of Pediatrics.
The AAP is in the midst of its annual Put a Lid on It campaign, which urges and encourages everyone, especially children under the age of 16, to wear a helmet when bicycling.
With the month of May ushering in National Bike Helmet Safety Awareness Month, AAP is currently teaming up with Ohio Department of Transportation to promote bike safety and to encourage youth to protect before they pedal by providing free helmets to organizations that are involved with children.
The Put a Lid on It campaign will allow groups and organizations to apply for the free helmets through March 2, so there is still time for area organizations and groups to log on to the AAP website and apply for helmets.
According to Hayley Southworth, director of program management and training with AAP in Columbus, over the years they have partnered with police departments, fire and EMS groups, schools, Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts of America, health-care facilities, health departments, and many other organizations in providing helmets.
“When we started this campaign initially, we partnered with 25 different organizations, and now we are up over 5,000 partners, so we have really seen a lot of growth in the program,” Southworth said. “The helmets are made available to any organization who deals with youth, so we do have a wide variety of different groups who have taken advantage of the opportunity.”
According to AAP, wearing a helmet every time a child rides a bike is a proven way to save lives.
The most recent statistics released indicate that each year the number of people injured by not wearing a bike helmet is upward of 51,000. Simply providing an inexpensive $10 helmet to a child can be the difference between safety and injury, health and catastrophic results.
Since 2011 the Ohio AAP has operated the Put a Lid on It campaign to promote Bike Helmet Safety Awareness. Millions of people have heard the message of helmet safety through the campaign and more than 40,000 helmets have been given out.
“We try to track the success of our helmets as much as possible, but more than anything the one thing we want to do through this campaign is to promote awareness,” Southworth said. “Since we have started, we have already reached more than 10 million people and shared the importance of wearing a helmet.”
In 2014 AAP and ODOT have been teaming up to provide helmets to Ohio youth, and for the fourth year the plan is to distribute up to 10,000 bike helmets to organizations around the state.
The Put a Lid on It promotion initially began as a one-day event but has taken off to the point that they have decided to make a month-long promotion out of it.
While much of the activity for National Bike Helmet Safety Awareness Month takes place in and around Columbus, Southworth said the program is a statewide function, and AAP and ODOT are more than excited to get involved with organizations throughout every county in Ohio.
“We have had about half of the counties in Ohio connect with us, and we would love to see that number grow,” Southworth said. “With an organization of pediatricians who are so connected with children, we want to connect with any organization who makes working with children a priority.”
The application process will be open from now until March 2, and organizations wishing to apply for helmets may do so simply by logging on to the website at www.ohioaap.org/PutALidOnIt. Recipients of new bike helmets will be notified March 12, and helmet distribution day is tentatively set for April 17.
The number of helmets distributed is dependent on funding, number of requests, applicant distribution plans and locations.
Southworth said the average number of helmets awarded to each organization last year was 72.
“We encourage anyone who deals with children to take advantage of this opportunity to create a safer environment for children on bikes,” Southworth said.