Stay safe and warm: Coats and car seats are a dangerous combination

Cold weather has arrived across the state and with the falling temps, everyone is reaching for their coats for warmth and protection from the elements.

When it comes to bundling children up for a car ride, extra caution needs to be considered for any child who uses a car seat. That bulky coat, which was meant to protect them from the cold, could actually put their life at risk inside the car seat.

As a rule, coats shouldn’t be worn under a safety harness. They take up too much room and can allow for extra space between the child’s body and the safety restraint system of the seat. Use the graphic below for some suggestions for how your child can stay safe and warm while traveling.

Kansas kids win poster/video contests, focus on improving traffic safety

Winners of two Put the Brakes on Fatalities Day statewide contests have been announced as part of the national safety campaign Put the Brakes on Fatalities Day.

For the poster contest – Kaymi Zink of Claflin, Finley Maloney of Kingman and Abigail Coons of Lawrence are the statewide winners. Each student was first selected as a regional winner and will receive a bicycle and a helmet donated by Safe Kids Kansas at presentations at their schools. A total of 836 Kansas kids ages 5 to 13 participated.

As statewide winners in their age categories, they will also receive a Kindle Fire tablet from the Kansas Turnpike Authority, a $50 gift card from the Petroleum Marketers and Convenience Store Association of Kansas, a $50 gift card from Wal-Mart and movie passes from AAA Kansas. 

Abigail Goons, created this poster. She is a student from Lawrence. 

Finley Maloney, created this poster and is a student from Kingman. 

Kaymi Zink created this poster and is a student from Claflin. 

For the video contest – Andrew Marshall Tabb from Shawnee Mission West won first place. He will receive his choice of an iPad, GoPro or Osmo Steadicam along with a $500 donation to the school, class or booster club.

Students from Eudora High School captured second place, and students from Lawrence High School placed third in the video contest. Each will receive one of the remaining prizes listed above. There were 37 entries from teens across the state. To see the winning videos, go to http://bit.ly/2018PTBOF.

Organizations that work together on this safety campaign include the Kansas Department of Transportation, Kansas Turnpike Authority, Kansas Highway Patrol, AAA of Kansas, Kansas Contractors Association, Kansas Family Partnership, Kansas Traffic Safety Resource Office, Federal Highway Administration and the Kansas Society of Professional Engineers.

Put the Brakes on Fatalities Day is a nationwide effort to increase roadway safety and reduce all traffic fatalities. For more information and a list of all the winners across Kansas, go to www.ksdot.org and click on the Put the Brakes on Fatalities Day information.

Grassroots effort in Topeka brings bicycling back to kids, in school setting

By Andy Fry,  Topeka Community Cycle Project

Over the last three years, the Topeka Bike Lesson and Safety Training (BLAST) program has reached more than 2,500 Topeka elementary age children, with plans to continue by either utilizing the gym space or outdoors when weather allows.  Grant funding made it possible to purchase the transport trailer and fleet of kids’ bicycles.

Providing the basic understanding of operating a bicycle around their neighborhood as well as basic handling skills better prepares these children to not only ride safe when out enjoying their community with their family, but also prepares them to be considerate road users as adults. In addition, there are typically some students unfamiliar with riding who have not yet had exposure to a bicycle. We provide starter bikes, called balance bikes, and a brief course to get them used to riding and then proceed with pedals and the functional coursework.

With the courses taught in the USD 501 Physical Education curriculum, this program allows the instructor to bring real world safety and healthy activity concepts into the classroom. Teachers have reported children are engaging and enjoying the opportunity to be active on bicycles during their school day.

Currently, all the materials and equipment necessary to operate the program are in place and working effectively. The Topeka Community Cycle Project has partnered with the Shawnee County Health Department and the Kansas Department of Health and Environment through the Chronic Disease Risk Reduction grant to fund an education position to staff the BLAST program and help teachers in the school setting. BLAST allows children to understand some of the physics and science surrounding movement on a bicycle as well as enjoy exploring their community.

Students line up with their bikes as part of their participation in Topeka's Bike Lesson and Safety Training program. 

The Topeka Community Cycle Project (TCCP) is partnered with USD 501 Topeka Public Schools and Safe Kids Shawnee County (Safe Kids) to offer Topeka Bike Lessons and Safety Tools BLAST programming in Topeka's elementary schools. Topeka Community Foundation (TCF) and Heartland Healthy Neighborhoods (HHN), through the Kansas Health Foundation, provided donations and grants needed to launch the program. TCCP applied for the Healthy Initiatives grant from TCF.

The Topeka Community Cycle project strives to broaden access to cycling in the city through education and bike repair..  

The Topeka Community Cycle Project is a 501(c)3 nonprofit community bicycle shop. TCCP strives to broaden access to cycling in Topeka through hands-on education and bike repair and is located at 801 NE Poplar. TCCP is open Thursdays from 5 - 7 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. 

Through a partnership with the Shawnee County Parks and Recreation Department, TCCP is housed in the Oakland Community Center and is open to allow individuals to come and work on their bike for free, as well as earn and learn about bicycles while volunteering. TCCP is currently developing several other programs this summer with Shawnee County Parks and Rec and other community organizations to bring safe, healthy experiences in Topeka.

Please contact TCCP at andy@cycleproject.org if you are interested in participating in BLAST as a volunteer or have another interest in partnership or programming or give us a call at(785) 380-9827.