Governor Easley’s Remarks
"Be Cool, Use the Right Tool"
Bicycle Helmet Promotion Kickoff
September 24, 2001 @ 9:30 a.m.
Transportation Building, Raleigh
Good morning, and thank you Lyndo.
You're doing a great job as Transportation Secretary.
I’m glad to see so many of you here today.
We are all here because we care about safety—and we share a common concern for our children.
You can see we have law enforcement agencies here from Clinton to Dare County and many points in between.
And we have representatives from Safe Kids Coalitions, the Federal Highway Administration—as well as several legislators.
I’d like to offer a special welcome to our guests behind me—the 2nd and 3rd graders from Lincoln Heights Elementary School.
We are so glad to have you join us for this important event.
As I look around at these smiling faces, I cannot help but think back to when my own son was their age.
He’s almost grown up now, but like these children, he’s always needed the guidance and protection of parents and teachers.
In the modern world, there are so many potential dangers our children face each day.
And I think we all agree that now more than ever we realize that there is nothing more important than protecting them.
That is why I’m excited to tell you about a new law that will improve safety and help us protect our precious children.
In July, I signed into law the North Carolina Child Bicycle Safety Act, which was passed by the General Assembly earlier this year.
This law goes into effect next week on October 1.
It requires that all children under the age of 16 wear a bicycle helmet when riding their bicycles on public roadways.
This is a law that will save lives—and protects children from serious head and brain injuries.
We are committed to educating children and their parents about this new law through our "Be Cool, Use the Right Tool" Bicycle Helmet Awareness Campaign.
Kids, can you repeat after me? BE COOL, USE THE RIGHT TOOL!
One more time---louder now—BE COOL, USE THE RIGHT TOOL!
It’s important for you to understand this because one out of every three bicyclists killed in North Carolina is under the age of 16.
And children between the ages of 6 and 18 are less likely to wear a helmet than adults or young children riding in a child seat on the back of a bicycle.
The "Be Cool, Use the Right Tool" campaign seeks to educate all children about the importance of wearing a helmet when riding bicycles.
Studies have proven that wearing a helmet can prevent 60 percent of deaths caused by head injuries.
And helmets reduce the risk of head injuries by as much as 85 percent and the risk of brain injury by as much as 88 percent.
These statistics are startling and serve as a "wake up" call for each of us.
Making sure our children wear a helmet is another way to let them know that we love them—and that we care about their safety.
This one simple action can mean the world to our children and families.
I’m also pleased to announce that the NCDOT has awarded more than $280,000 in federal safety funds through the Governor’s Highway Safety Program to local law enforcement agencies to help us make sure that helmets reach communities throughout the state.
So far we have awarded funds to more than 220 police and sheriff’s departments and the state highway patrol so they can distribute helmets in communities throughout the state.
It is only fitting that we partner with our law enforcement agencies since they will play an important role in enforcing this new law.
These officers will be out in full force to make sure that parents and children are abiding by the law.
Our law enforcement agencies will also use these funds to purchase helmets for community events that will educate the public about this new law and the importance of bicycle safety.
For example, a police department may plan their own special helmet awareness campaign to distribute helmets—or a bike rodeo like the one we are having today which teaches children bicycling safety skills.
No matter the event or campaign, the message is clear: bicycle helmets save lives, and we are excited to help bring these to our children.
I want to thank the North Carolina law enforcement community for their overwhelming response to this program—and for their commitment to helping us get the word out into every community about bicycle helmet use.
I’m also pleased to announce that we have awarded funds to police departments in Wake County and the surrounding area to purchase more than 1,400 helmets.
These 1,400 helmets will protect 1,400 children from injury.
These law enforcement agencies include the Cary, Apex, Holly Springs, Wake Forest, Garner, Knightdale and Raleigh Police Departments.
In addition, the Dunn, Benson and Kenly communities will receive grants to purchase about 600 helmets for their communities.
In fact, I’m happy to say that every application received by DOT will be funded—so all agencies across the state that applied will receive a grant.
(LEAD APPLAUSE.)
That is great news for many families.
Collectively, this grant program will enable law enforcement agencies to purchase about 41,000 helmets for children from the coast to the mountains.
That means that 41,000 children will be safe in the knowledge that we care about their safety—and we want to take an active role in protecting them from harm.
Part of my vision of One North Carolina is working together to unite the diverse populations that make our state so great.
This includes protecting and nurturing our precious children, who are our future.
The cooperation demonstrated today between the state, law enforcement agencies and other safety coalitions proves to me once again that North Carolinians are up to the task.
We are a state facing challenges and a nation facing uncertainty.
But our priority must always be our children---and to them we will always stand committed.
The North Carolina Child Bicycle Safety Act is a law we can count on to save lives and ensure the future of North Carolina’s next generations.
Thank you.