Is your child riding a bicycle without a helmet? The Community Outreach Center, in partnership with the Rockland County Department of Health, will be distributing free bike helmets to residents of Rockland County as part of the Child Pedestrian Safety Program.

The helmets will be given out on Thursday, July 17th, from 1:30 – 3:30 pm, at the Haverstraw WIC office, located at 26 New Main Street in Haverstraw. Bring your children with you to the helmet giveaway so that their helmets can be fitted correctly. The helmets will be given out first come, first serve as supplies last.

Bicycle helmets are important safety gear required for all bike riders no matter how young or old they are. In Rockland County it’s the law to wear a helmet every time you are on a bike.

“To be safe, make sure the helmet is worn the right way. It should sit on top of the head in a level position, and should not rock forward, backward or side-to-side. The helmet straps must always be buckled, but not too tightly. Properly worn bike helmets can reduce the risk of head and brain injury,” said Dr. Patricia Schnabel Ruppert, Rockland County Commissioner of Health.

Adults and parents should be good role models and wear helmets too. Don’t let children ride without supervision until they have shown you they always follow the rules of the road and wear their helmet.

For more information and other childhood injury prevention tips, visit the Safe Kids website at www.safekids.org or call the Health Department’s Childhood Injury Prevention Program at 845- 364-3865.

(YWN Monsey Newsroom)