LOS ANGELES UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT Office of Enviromental Health and Safety

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1 FOR YOUR INFORMATION LOS ANGELES UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT DISTRIBUTION: All Schools ROUTING: Local District Superintendents SUBJECT: MEMORANDUM NO. MEM-622 Local District Directors ENFORCING THE CALIFORNIA SAFETY HELMET LAW of Instruction Local District Operations Coordinators DATE: Resident Officers Campus Security DIVISION: Office of Environmental Health and Safety APPROVED: ANGELO J. BELLOMO, Director For further information, call the School Safe Traffic Zone Unit at (213) I. BACKGROUND California state law requires all children ages 17 and under to wear a safety helmet whenever riding a bicycle, scooter, rollerblades, and skateboard. The law requires the riders of motorized scooter and motorized skateboard to be at least 16 years of age and wearing a safety helmet. In 2001, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported 732 fatalities and 45,277 injuries involving pedalcyclists. II. PROCEDURES It is imperative that schools implement a policy enforcing the California State Safety Helmet Law. The attached "Transportation Safety Agreement", "Sample Parent Letter", and "IT'S THE LAW" flyer may be useful in establishing a school policy. (see Attachments). Attachments are also available in Armenian, Korean, Chinese, Russian, Vietnamese, Spanish and Tagalog. Materials also available on the Office of Environmental Health and Safety web site In addition to the school initiated policy, arrangements are currently under way to have local law enforment and School Police cite students riding bicycles, scooters, skateboards, motorized scooters, rollerblades, and motorized skateboards without helmets. Law enforcement will also issue a notice for the violators to attend the School Safe Traffic Zone Unit citation diversion class to satisfy the Los Angeles County Superior Courts requirements, where court fees may be waived.

2 MEMORANDUM NO. MEM Office of Environmental Health and Safety III. EDUCATION PROGRAMS The School Safe Traffic Zone Unit offers a traffic safety education program and will visit all elementary, middle and high schools during the school year. This program will instruct students in traffic laws and helmet usage. Funding for this program was provided by a grant from the California State Office of Traffic Safety. To schedule a school visit, contact School Safety Traffic Unit at ###

3 LOS ANGELES UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT MEMORANDUM NO. MEM-622 ATTACHMENT A (SAMPLE PARENT LETTER) Dear Parents/Guardians: To ensure the well-being of all of our children, we are informing you of our policy on bicycle, scooter, skateboard, motorized scooter and motorized skateboard safety. It is imperative that all children are aware of the rules and regulations, the responsibilities and the dangers of riding these vehilces. These teachings must come from both the home and the school. It is our hope that by working together we will help our young people attain the knowledge necessary to ride safely. Effective immediately, it is the policy of School that all students riding bicycle, scooter, skateboard, motorized scooter and motorized skateboard, if allowed to and from school MUST wear a safety helmets. This is a state law, as well as a school rule. These helmets may not be held in the hands of students or carried on handlebars; THEY MUST BE WORN. Any child who enters this campus without a helmet on his/her head will have his/her bicycle, scooter, skateboard, motorized scooter and motorized skateboard confiscated immediately. STUDENTS RIDING MOTORIZED SCOOTERS OR MOTORIZED SKATEBOARDS MUST BE AGE 16 OR OLDER. The vehilce will not be released until a parent comes to campus to retrieve it or the child has a helmet. Enclosed please find a Bicycle Safety Agreement. If your child rides a bicycle, scooter, skateboard, motorized scooter and motorized skateboard to school, the agreement must be signed by you and your child and returned to the Main Office as soon as possible. If the agreement is not kept, the student will not be allowed to ride his/her vehilce to school. We ask that you also discuss general traffic safety with your child. Some of the things that we feel are important are: 1) cross the street only where there is a crosswalk 2) when crossing at a stop signal and the light turns green, always wait and make sure there are no cars running the red light before you begin crossing 3) always walk bicycles, scooters and skateboards while crossing the street in a crosswalk 4) do not ride double on vehilces - this is extremely dangerous and against the law 5) know the municipal law of riding on the sizewalks. Our students are of vital importance to us all. Please help us in educating your child in traffic safety so we may ensure the safety of all. Sincerely,

4 LOS ANGELES UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT MEMORANDUM NO. MEM-622 ATTACHMENT B TRAFFIC SAFETY AGREEMENT We, at school, agree that keeping our students safe while riding their (bicycles, scooters, skateboard, motorized scooter, and motorized skateboard) to school is a shared responsibility between the school, the parents and the student. This agreement outlines each of our responsibilities. We, the school agree to... Teach traffic safety rules Have periodic traffic safety instruction Enforce traffic safety rules and the California Safety Helmet Law I, the student agree to... Follow all traffic safety rules Always wear my safety helmet when riding a bicycle, scooter, skateboard, motorized scooter and motorized skateboard Keep my bicycle, scooter, skateboard, motorized scooter and motorized skateboard in good repair Always lock my vehicle in a bicycle rack while at school Only ride one person on a bicycle, scooter, skateboard, motorized scooter and motorized skateboard at a time ride a motorized scooter or motorized skateboard only if age 16 or older We, the parents agree to... Reinforce traffic safety rules at home Provide a safety helmet for my child Make certain that my child's bicycle, scooter, skateboard, motorized scooter and motorized skateboard is in good repair Support the school in reinforcing the rule requiring the wearing of a safety helmet We, the undersigned agree to... Work together to ensure safety when riding bicycles to and from school Student's Signature Parent's Signature _ Principal's Signature _

5 IT'S THE LAW Children ages 17 and under must wear a safety helmet whenever riding a bicycle, scooter and skateboard. Children ages 16 and older are allowed to ride motorized scooters and motorized skateboards. Wearing a safety helmet has been proven to prevent up to 85% of bicycle-related head injuries to children. Make sure the helmet is fitted properly on the child's head for maximum protection. The straps must form a "V" on either side of the ears. The chin strap should have a 1/2 inch play. The helmet sits just above the eyebrows.