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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3Representatives recognize bicycling as a positive, important
4activity for children under the age of 16, for the purposes of
5transportation, exercise, recreation, and general physical and
6mental well-being; and
 
7    WHEREAS, Five of every six middle school students and more
8than two of every three high school students report riding
9bicycles within the past year; and
 
10    WHEREAS, Significant numbers of children are injured while
11riding bicycles, in many instances with injuries that could
12have been prevented or reduced in seriousness if the young
13bicycle riders were wearing bicycle helmets; and
 
14    WHEREAS, Nationally, only 20% to 25% of all bicyclists wear
15bicycle helmets, despite the fact that nearly 70% of all fatal
16bicycle crashes involve head injuries; and
 
17    WHEREAS, Bicycle helmets reduce the risk of head injuries
18by up to 88% and reduce the risk of facial injuries by 65%;
19thousands of head and facial injuries suffered by Illinois
20children would be prevented every year if every child wore a
21bicycle helmet; and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, 500,000 bicycle-related injuries are treated in
2U.S. hospital emergency rooms every year, with over half the
3injured being children and nearly half those injuries involving
4the head or neck region; and
 
5    WHEREAS, The annual cost of bicycle-related injuries and
6deaths in the United States is $8 billion; every dollar spent
7on a bicycle helmet saves our society $30 in indirect medical
8costs; and
 
9    WHEREAS, Numerous Illinois retailers, community groups,
10and hospital programs currently make bicycle helmets available
11to children at low or no cost; and
 
12    WHEREAS, Numerous groups advocate for bicycle helmet usage
13by children, including the American Academy of Pediatrics
14(Illinois Chapter), the Brain Injury Association of Illinois,
15the Chicago Medical Legal Partnership for Children, the
16Children's Memorial Hospital, the Cook County Department of
17Public Health, Health and Disability Advocates, Helmets
18First!, the Illinois Academy of Family Physicians, the Illinois
19Association of School Nurses, the Illinois Chapter of the
20Emergency Nurses Association, the Illinois Hospital
21Association, the Illinois State Medical Society, the Illinois
22Maternal and Child Health Coalition, the Loyola University

 

 

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1Medical Center, the Quad Cities Bicycle Club, the
2Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, SafeKids Illinois, the
3Chicago Shriners Hospital for Children, the Macon County and
4Winnebago County Shriners Hospitals for Children, the
5Stakeholders Collaboration to Improve Student Health, Think
6First National Injury Prevention (7 Illinois Chapters), and the
7University of Chicago Comer Children's Hospital; and
 
8    WHEREAS, Educating children as to the benefit of wearing
9bicycle helmets while cycling will contribute to their safety
10and well-being; numerous agencies and associations, including
11the office of the Illinois Secretary of State, the Illinois
12Department of Public Health, local health and law enforcement
13departments, schools, medical professionals, advocates for
14children, cycling groups, and retail sellers of bicycles, could
15provide a great service to Illinois children by expanding,
16commencing, or collaborating on activities designed to convey
17this message of great public value; therefore, be it
 
18    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
19NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
20we urge the Governor and the Illinois Secretary of State to
21convene a task force or working group, composed of
22representatives of the aforementioned or like-minded groups,
23to explore, discuss, and coordinate efforts to conduct a public
24awareness campaign to educate the general public about the

 

 

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1value of cycling to children, along with the safety benefits of
2children wearing bicycle helmets; and be it further
 
3    RESOLVED, That we urge Illinois schools, under the
4direction of the State Board of Education, to participate in
5the development of activities and programs that would encourage
6child bicycle riders to wear bicycle helmets; and be it further
 
7    RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be
8delivered to Governor Pat Quinn and Secretary of State Jesse
9White.