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AAA and Friends Reward Local Child for Safe Bicycle Riding

School bike rack by East Bay Bike Coalition
Photo copyright East Bay Bicycle Coalition   https://www.flickr.com/photos/ebbc/   http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Practicing safety at a young age can lead to a lifetime commitment.  To help strengthen these habits, AAA East Central, McDonald’s of Kentuckiana™, and police departments from St. Matthews, Anchorage, Eminence, LaGrange, and Louisville teamed up to initiate Helmet Smart.  Through this program, police officers on duty have been issuing "safety citations" when they've witnessed young bicyclists wearing a helmet while riding.

In addition to receiving a free Happy Meal® at a participating McDonald’s of Kentuckiana™ restaurants, winners of the citations were entered in drawings for a new bike and helmet.  This year’s first winner is 9-year-old Michael Rodusky!

“We are so proud of Michael for setting such a good example in his neighborhood,” said Theresa Podguski, director of legislative affairs at AAA East Central.  “Learning and practicing good habits like this early on will come in handy for the rest of his life.” 

Michael will receive his new bicycle and helmet Friday, July 20, 1:30 p.m. at the Anchorage Police Headquarters.  The headquarters are located at 11506 Park Road, Anchorage, KY.

The Helmet Smart program is another AAA East Central initiative aimed at increasing safe riding habits for bicyclists, such as using a helmet.  Helmets reduce the risk of brain injury by 85 percent and can prevent life-long consequences.  Crashes can occur on a sidewalk, in a park or on a bicycle path.  Most crashes occur when a cyclist is starting or stopping.

In addition to reminding young riders to always wear a helmet, AAA East Central offers the following safe biking tips:

  • Tell an adult if anything is wrong or broken on your bike
  • Wear brightly colored clothing so that others can see you better
  • Remember: one seat= one rider only!
  • Keep both hands on the handlebars
  • Walk your bike across busy intersections

AAA East Central is a not-for-profit association with 80 local offices in Kentucky, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia serving 2.7 million members.  Past news releases are available at news.eastcentral.aaa.com.  Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

For More Information, Contact:
Lynda Lambert, Safety Advisor & Media Spokesperson
Desk: 502-779-3610 / Cell: 502-565-7410 / Email: Lambert.Lynda@aaaec.com

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CST 1016202-80 Copyright © AAA East Central. All Rights Reserved.
AAA East Central is a member club affiliated with the American Automobile Association (AAA) national federation and serves members in Kentucky, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia.