Key West The Newspaper

Bicycle safety is an important public health issue in the Florida Keys. A larger proportion of Monroe County’s population bikes to work than any other county in the state of Florida, and research shows that Monroe County has the highest fatality rate, the highest ER visit rate, and the 3rd highest hospitalization rate in the state for bicycle accidents with motor vehicles.*

The Florida Keys Healthy Start Coalition (FKHSC), in partnership with the Florida Department of Health in Monroe County, is hosting two bike helmet fitter training and certification courses, one in Key Largo and the other in Key West on March 23 and 24. This free two-hour course is offered to any Monroe County resident who is interested in promoting bike safety and injury prevention. Certified helmet fitters can receive free bike helmets and other bike safety materials for distribution to the community.

To promote bike safety awareness, the FKHSC and the health department are working together to support bike safety and educate the community on current policies. Florida Helmet Law for children (Florida Statute 316.2065) states that “a bicycle rider or passenger who is under 16 years of age must wear a bicycle helmet that is properly fitted and is fastened securely upon the passenger’s head by a strap….this includes a child who is riding in a trailer or semitrailer attached to a bicycle.”

Prior registration is not required for the training. However, for more information on the course, free bicycle helmets for children, or additional child safety resources and programs; please contact Leah Stockton at 305-293-8424 or email [email protected].

*Monroe County has 1.7 deaths per 100,000 population, FL Average is 0.6 per 100,000; the Monroe County emergency department visit rate for bicyclists being struck by motor vehicles is 75.09 per 100,000 versus the FL average of 25.89 per 100,000. All statistics are from FLCHARTS, 2017).