Back in 1993, when Ira Riklis owned and operated SafeGuard Security—headquarter in Charlotte, North Carolina, he was approached by a child safety organization seeking his sponsorship for a program to provide bicycle helmets for local children. They told him of the sobering statistics associated with traumatic head injuries suffered by young riders. Among children ages 14 and under, more than 80 percent of bicycle-related fatalities are associated with the bicyclist’s behavior. When you’re young and having fun, you aren’t always aware of the risks you’re taking.
He also learned that many of those deaths and serious injuries could be avoided by one simple action: wearing a properly fitted bicycle helmet. Once they laid out the facts for Ira Riklis, it was an easy choice. He promptly agreed to provide 5,000 free helmets to be given away—complete with a fitting—one Spring weekend in the parking lot of a local YMCA. Now that you know the facts, it should be an easy choice for you as well. If you have children, or know someone with children, please make sure they get fitted with (and wear) a good bicycle helmet