Posts Tagged ‘preventing head injuries’
Breakstone, White & Gluck Supports Mattapan on Wheels 2019
Breakstone, White & Gluck was proud to support the Mattapan on Wheels event this weekend. We only wish the temperature had been more forgiving for cyclists riding for such a good cause. This ride is a terrific cause in our book!
The Mattapan Food and Fitness Coalition organizes Mattapan on Wheels each year to encourage physical activity, as well as safe cycling on Mattapan streets and the Lower Neponset River Trail. Many Mattapan children take their first ride at this event and receive their first bicycle helmet from Breakstone, White & Gluck’s Project KidSafe campaign. Our law firm donates 100 bicycle helmets each year to encourage safety. More experienced cyclists help children and others fit the helmets and get them ready to ride.
This event gives cyclists access to other key safety resources too. Boston police officers and community volunteers come out to lead the ride and follow in back. There are all skill levels here and cyclists can choose their ride and challenge themselves with a new route each year. Other community groups are on hand to do ABC checks – air, brakes and chain. Then, the ride usually wraps up and everyone heads over to the Annual Scoops and Hoops event nearby.
The event is the group’s primary fundraiser. More than 50 cyclists still turned out this weekend, despite the heat and raised over $3,200 for bike-related activities. But this is roughly a third of the typical participation and Mattapan Food and Fitness Coalition is still collecting donations. You can learn more from the Mattapan Food and Fitness Coalition’s website. The website is under construction, but you can find the contact information and social media sites at the bottom of the page.
Photo credits: Mattapan Food and Fitness Coalition Facebook page.
About Breakstone, White & Gluck
The Boston personal injury lawyers at Breakstone, White & Gluck have over 100 years combined experience fighting for the rights of those who have been injured by the negligence or wrongdoing of others in Massachusetts. Our attorneys have won numerous record-setting verdicts and settlements have been recognized on the Top 100 New England Super Lawyers and Top 100 Massachusetts Super Lawyers lists. We founded our Project KidSafe campaign in 2013 to encourage children to wear helmets every time they ride to prevent head injuries in bicycle accidents.
If you have been injured or have lost a loved one due to someone’s negligence, learn your legal rights. For a free legal consultation, contact us at 800-379-1244 or 617-723-7676 or use our contact form.
How to Fit a Bicycle Helmet
Attorney David W. White fitting helmets at Framingham Earth Day 2019. Part of Breakstone, White & Gluck’s Project KidSafe campaign to prevent head injuries.
While many people enjoy cycling, very few enjoy the process of selecting and fitting a bicycle helmet. The challenge is even greater for parents who have to find helmets for their children.
Breakstone, White & Gluck launched our Project KidSafe campaign in 2013 to help children and families, along with other cyclists, overcome some of the challenges. Read some of our tips for getting started with a bicycle helmet which fits and protects:
- Before you shop, find a flexible tape measure and measure around your head. Measure from about an inch above your eyebrows.
- Rather than shopping online, try to purchase a helmet at a local bicycle shop. Ask the staff to help you fit it properly.
- Before you purchase, ask if the helmet meets the safety standards set by the Consumer Product Safety Commission.
- Don’t share bicycle helmets. Each cyclist should have their own helmet.
- Store your helmet inside and avoid exposing it to heat in sunlight unless you are wearing it. Don’t leave it in your car for any extended period.
- Replace bicycle helmets when they become worn or if you or your child outgrow yours. You may want to consider buying a new helmet every three years. From the outside, your helmet may appear to be in good condition. Yet the protective material inside can deteriorate without any visible signs.
- Immediately replace bicycle helmets which hit the ground in a bicycle accident or fall.
- Carry your bicycle helmet if you want to use a bikeshare. Make it a rule not to rent a bike without a helmet.
- Plan ahead: Keep an extra bicycle helmet at work or at home.
- Remember, parents who wear helmets encourage children to wear helmets.
- Take children to bicycle safety events in the community to encourage their interest in cycling and safety.
About Breakstone, White & Gluck
Breakstone, White & Gluck is a Boston personal injury law firm which represents those injured by the negligence and wrongdoing of others across Massachusetts. After more than two decades of representing cyclists who have been injured, the firm’s partners launched the Project KidSafe campaign to help prevent injuries on bikes and encourage children to wear helmets throughout their lives. The firm specializes in all areas of personal injury law.
Learn more about our attorneys.
Learn more about the Project KidSafe campaign.
Watch a video demonstrating how to fit a bicycle helmet.
Breakstone, White & Gluck Begins 2019 Project KidSafe Campaign
Attorneys’ Project KidSafe Campaign Gives Away 400 Children’s Bicycle Helmets in First Week of Community Events
Breakstone, White & Gluck donated more than 120 free bicycle helmets to children and families at Framingham Earth Day on April 27, 2019. Above: Attorney David W. White with young cyclists who received helmets.
Breakstone, White & Gluck kicked off our Project KidSafe campaign in April, continuing on with our commitment to put bicycle helmets on Boston-area children who need one to prevent head injuries.
We always look forward to this time of year, giving away the helmets, talking to children and families about riding a bike (some of the kids are pretty excited!) and working with our community partners.
This year, our attorneys are partnering with more than 40 community organizations, including police departments, schools and bicycle committees. While our attorneys donate the helmets, these groups are critical in getting the helmets to children and encouraging helmet use. Many of these groups organize community events, where children can receive a free helmet, have it fitted specifically for them and ask questions about bicycle safety and traffic laws. These events are a lot of fun, teaching core bicycle skills and giving children the chance to interact with other cyclists, police officers and the community in a positive way. Children also have the opportunity to see others wearing bicycle helmets, which reinforces our message that helmets are essential.
Breakstone, White & Gluck founded our Project KidSafe campaign in 2013, with a goal of protecting children on bikes. This is our 7th year in 2019 and we plan to donate more than 4,000 bicycle helmets to children in Boston, Cambridge, Somerville, Everett and other communities. To date, we have now donated more than 25,000 bicycle helmets to protect children.
These were the first few Project KidSafe helmet giveaways, most taking place on Saturday, April 27th:
Arlington Pierce School
Breakstone, White & Gluck donated 60 Project KidSafe helmets to fifth graders at Pierce School in Arlington, as part of its annual bike safety day during the week of April 22nd. This was the third year of the donation and our fifth year of supporting bike safety events in Arlington Public Schools. Our attorneys, MassBike and Arlington Police usually come out to talk about Massachusetts laws for cyclists, safety tips and just why wearing a helmet is important. Our attorneys were unable to participate this year due to scheduling, but we are told it was another event filled with valuable information and the students asked many good questions.
Watertown Bicycle & Pedestrian Committee
The Watertown Bicycle & Pedestrian Committee were out on Saturday, April 27th, giving away roughly 70 bicycle helmets to children at Little League Opening Day. This marks the fifth year we have partnered with the committee to get helmets to local children. In the past, committee members have reached out to children with helmets at other community events, but this was their second visit to Little League Opening Day and they hope to continue on with this giveaway. Terrific work by the committee! Read more.
Westborough Bike and Pedestrian Advisory Committee
Westborough families turned out strong for Healthy Kids Day at the Boroughs Family Branch of the YMCA of Central Massachusetts, which also took place on April 27th. Members of the Westborough Bike and Pedestrian Advisory Committee had a busy day, fitting more than 90 children for free bicycle helmets. This is familiar ground for committee members, who have volunteered their time for the past 5 years giving away the bicycle helmets and talking to families about safe riding. We thank them for their time and dedication each year.
Medford Bicycle Advisory Commission
The Medford Bicycle Advisory Commission (also known as Medford Bikes) gave our Project KidSafe helmets to children who needed one the Medford Indoor Bike Rodeo, which was held at the city’s recreation center. The April 27th event was put on in partnership with the Medford Recreation Center and Massachusetts Safe Routes to School. Pat Bibbens of Medford Bikes led the children through skills training. This was the third year Breakstone, White & Gluck and our Project KidSafe have donated bicycle helmets in partnership with Medford Bikes. In past years, the committee has also distributed our Project KidSafe helmets at community events at the Medford Public Library and the town’s annual Medford Day. Great work this year!
Framingham Earth Day
At Framingham Earth Day, Attorney David W. White and our volunteers, Attorney Denise Murphy (who happens to be David’s wife) and Framingham cyclist Bill Hanson fit more than 120 bicycle helmets for children on Saturday, April 27th. We set up next to the Bruce Freeman Trail tent, so cyclists had the opportunity to learn about the developing trail and the importance of wearing a helmet in one stop. Thanks to both of our volunteers!
Check out more of our photos from our Framingham Earth Day donation and follow our Project KidSafe campaign on Facebook.
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- Framingham cyclist Bill Hanson helps Attorney David W. White out at the Project KidSafe tent. We fit more than 120 kids at Framingham Earth Day this year!
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- Attorney David W. White and two young cyclists who received free bicycle helmets from our Project KidSafe campaign.
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- Our volunteer, Attorney Denise Murphy helps out at our Project KidSafe tent.
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- Attorney David W. White fitting a helmet.
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- Attorney David W. White chats with a young child about helmets.
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- Our Project KidSafe tent! This marks the 6th year we have set up at Framingham Earth Day.
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- Attorney David W. White fitting a child’s helmet.
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- Attorney David W. White explains how a bicycle helmet should fit.
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- Attorney David W. White and Attorney Denise Murphy fitting helmets.
Honoring Schools for Teaching Safe Walking and Biking
Breakstone, White & Gluck was pleased to celebrate the Massachusetts Safe Routes to School Partnership today. Attorney David W. White joined a gathering at the State House which recognized schools for outstanding work in teaching children critical skills, how to walk and bike to school safely. The ceremony was a nice opportunity to learn about Safe Routes’ work over the past year and get a preview of what’s ahead.
Breakstone, White & Gluck and our Project KidSafe campaign have supported Safe Routes’ work for the past four years. Wearing a bicycle helmet is one of the first lessons Safe Routes teaches children. We donate 400 bicycle helmets each year to help Safe Routes reach as many children as possible.
We make the donation, but Safe Routes’ coordinators choose which communities receive helmets, based on their unique knowledge of the communities. The program’s coordinators work all over the state, from Boston and Cambridge to Martha’s Vineyard to Western Massachusetts. In some cases, helmets are given to an entire class. In other cases, a Safe Routes coordinator will send a few helmets as needed.
Safe Routes programming is offered in all 50 states. In Massachusetts, the pilot program was first launched in 2000. With federal funding, the program was restructured in 2006 and became an initiative of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation and MassRIDES. More than a decade later, the program continues strong and is now offered in more than 800 schools in 206 communities in Massachusetts. Each program works to implement the Five E’s: Education, Encouragement, Enforcement, Evaluation and Engineering.
Students learn safety skills in school programs, special events and community events and rodeos. School programming includes Massachusetts Walk, Bike and Roll to School Day and the winter version, Winter Walk and Roll to School Day.
Diane Hanson, Mass Rides program director, spoke to start the ceremony. Keynote speaker was Jonathan Gulliver, the MassDOT Highway Commissioner. Pat Kelsey, outreach supervisor for MassRIDES, announced the school awards.
Attorney David W. White with Jennifer Ford, principal at Cambridge’s Peabody School, which received some of the Project KidSafe bicycle helmets.
Group photo on the Grand Staircase.
Attorney David W. White with Tom Francis, interim executive director of MassBike.
Attorney David W. White with Pat Kelsey, outreach supervisor for Mass Rides.
About Project KidSafe
Breakstone, White & Gluck founded Project KidSafe in 2013 and we have donated over 20,000 bicycle helmets to children. In addition to Safe Routes, we have partnered with over 40 schools, police departments, bicycle committees and community organizations mostly in the Boston area.
Why bicycle helmets? With decades of experience representing cyclists and those injured in motor vehicle crashes, our personal injury attorneys have seen the devastation caused by head injuries first hand. Young cyclists who are 16 and younger must wear bicycle helmets under Massachusetts law, but many ride without any protection. There are many reasons: helmets are expensive, hard to fit and cyclists (young and old) often say they are uncomfortable to wear. But through Project KidSafe, Breakstone, White & Gluck is committed to limiting and preventing head injuries in Massachusetts, and encouraging children to understand the importance of bicycle helmets early on.
Learn more about Breakstone, White & Gluck.
Learn more about Project KidSafe.
Breakstone, White & Gluck Makes Bike Month Donations in Framingham and Clinton
As National Bike Month ends, we finish a busy May for our Project KidSafe campaign. Six years have passed since we began our campaign and each year, Bike Month and Bay State Bike Week, get better and engage more people in Massachusetts. A few of our donations:
Framingham Earth Day. This event was held on April 28th. But it’s always the unofficial start of Bike Month for us. This was our fifth year participating in Framingham Earth Day and donating bicycle helmets from our Project KidSafe campaign to the kids. Attorney David W. White and Framingham Police Officer Garrett Coffin fit 150 helmets over the first two hours of the event. The rain stayed away so this year, we got to enjoy being out on the Framingham Center Common. Dozens of vendors came out, including several organizations for cyclists. We have to add: this is always a worthwhile event for cyclists. Friends of the Natick Trails, the Natick Cochituate Rail Trail and the Friends of the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail participated, giving cyclists a way to learn about the latest developments before riding.
We want to offer a special thanks to Officer Coffin of the Framingham Police Department. Garrett comes out each year. He is patient, good with people and has to be one of the best bicycle helmet fitters in Massachusetts.
Clinton Community Safety Rodeo. On May 5th, we were pleased to donate bicycle helmets at the Community Safety Rode in Clinton. This is the second year the town of Clinton Park & Recreation Department has organized the event. We are told last year, many children showed up with bikes, but were unable to participate because they didn’t have helmets. In Massachusetts, it’s not just good sense to wear a helmet. It’s required under the law for children (up to age 16). And as we said, it is important and good sense for all cyclists.