WalkSafe Keeps Walking for 15 Years: A Program Review.

Unintentional injury is the leading cause of death among children aged 5 to 14 years. The WalkSafe program was developed in response to the number of children admitted to Miami-Dade County, Florida, level-1 trauma centers. WalkSafe was piloted in an initially high-risk neighborhood, which now exhibits a low density of pedestrian crashes. Following countywide implementation of WalkSafe, trauma data exhibit a 78% decrease in pediatric injuries. This article provides a 15-year review of WalkSafe and its role in decreasing pediatric pedestrian injuries in Miami-Dade County. Every year, an alarming number of child pedestrians are injured on the nation's roadways. In Miami-Dade County, Florida, the WalkSafe program aims to reduce pediatric injury through targeted education and multitiered collaboration with community partners.

The Effectiveness of an On-Bicycle Curriculum on Children.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to determine whether the BikeSafe on-bicycle curriculum affects children's bicycle safety knowledge and collect cross-sectional data on cycling beliefs and attitudes. METHODS: The University of Miami's BikeSafe program collected surveys from 286 participants, aged 7-15, in 10 Miami-Dade County Parks, Recreation, and Open Spaces summer camps from June to August 2015. Pre and post knowledge assessments were analyzed for 83 intervention group and 57 control group participants. Posttesting occurred immediately following program implementation and 2-4 weeks postimplementation. RESULTS: Intervention group participants demonstrated significant differences (P < .05) in knowledge gain between testing points, whereas control group participants did not. Participants (n = 286) were more likely to be encouraged to ride a bicycle by parents/guardians (61.2%) than by friends (38.1%) or schools (19.6%). Older respondents reported lower intentions of helmet use compared to the younger age group, χ2(4) = 27.96, P < .0005. CONCLUSIONS: Children's bicycle safety knowledge increased following implementation of the BikeSafe on-bicycle curriculum. This study confirmed previous research on the decrease in helmet use as children get older and provided insight into how children view their parents' beliefs and attitudes relating to cycling. The findings of this study can be used to effectively target future educational and encouragement initiatives.

Vision Zero in the United States Versus Sweden: Infrastructure Improvement for Cycling Safety.

Inspired by Swedish legislation, Vision Zero policies are being adopted in the United States with increasing frequency. Although some view the goal of eliminating serious injury and death on the road system as impractical, Sweden's lower rates of road-related injury and death provide compelling evidence that more can be done to improve US cycling safety. We examine existing Vision Zero and cycling-related literature to highlight the central components of the Swedish policy, with the goal of providing evidence-based recommendations for successful implementation of similar policies in the United States. Ultimately, infrastructure design should remain central in US Vision Zero plans, but supplemental initiatives promoting a cycling and safety culture also can be incorporated.