28th Annual Safe Summer Program for Kids to Wear Bike Helmets

Exercise safely this summer and get free ice cream to beat the heat. That’s the goal of Senator Jim Tedisco’s innovative Safe Summer Bike Helmet program, which is celebrating its 28th anniversary of keeping Saratoga County and Schenectady County kids safe.

This year, Senator Tedisco’s Safe Summer Program will distribute 5,000 “good tickets” for free ice cream cones to 12 local police departments to reward children who wear their helmets while bicycling, skateboarding, and rollerblading, and give free bike helmets to kids who need one.  

Tedisco’s Safe Summer program is made possible thanks to donations from participating businesses: Stewart’s Shops, Hayner’s Ice Cream and Country Store in Halfmoon, Ben & Jerry’s, and Friendly’s.  The law firm of Harding Mazzotti LLP is donating hundreds of new bike helmets to police departments in Saratoga and Schenectady Counties to distribute to children who need them.  

“Summer is the season for kids to have fun, but we can’t ever forget that they need to keep safety in mind.  I want children to enjoy the summer, but I also want them to be safe when they’re riding their bicycles. My Safe Summer program, now its 28th year, reminds kids every year to wear their helmets while rewarding good behavior with coupons for free ice cream,” said Senator Tedisco. “This program is a community partnership among businesses, law enforcement, government and parents and it’s truly a model for how caring people can come together and promote a fun and safe environment for children. Safe Summer also provides positive interactions between law enforcement and kids.”

It’s the law in New York State that children up to age 14 must wear a bicycle helmet or parents could face a $50 fine. The cost of a bicycle helmet is about $30.00. The average charge for a hospital stay due to a bicycle related brain injury is $18,900 with an average length of stay of four days. According to the Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute, nearly 87 percent of kids with skull fractures from bicycle-related accidents were not wearing helmets. Bicycle helmets have been shown to reduce the risk of head injury by 60 percent and brain injury by 58 percent. It’s estimated that 75 percent of bike-related fatalities among children could be prevented with a helmet. Universal use of bicycle helmets by children ages 4 to 15 could prevent between 135 and 155 deaths, between 39,000 and 45,000 head injuries, and between 18,000 and 55,000 scalp and face injuries annually.

“The safety of our children is a top priority for the Saratoga County Sheriff’s Office. The Safe Summer Bike Helmet Program allows us to encourage kids to safely ride their bicycles, scooters and skateboards in a fun atmosphere while wearing a helmet. I want to thank Senator Tedisco for his leadership these past 28 years in helping to protect our kids and encouraging them to have positive interactions with law enforcement,” said Saratoga County Sheriff Jeff Brown.