HHP students to participate in National Walk to School Day

October 2, 2006

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — As part of National Walk to School Day on Oct. 4, College of Health and Human Performance students will be educating elementary school children about the importance of pedestrian and bicycle safety.

Members of Eta Sigma Gamma, the national professional health education honor society, will display information about bicycle safety at J.J. Finley Elementary School from 7 to 11 a.m.

Volunteers will discuss the importance of wearing a bicycle helmet, and demonstrate how to wear a helmet properly.

“Many children in the community walk or bicycle to school, this initiative is important in order to teach the children basic safety rules and skills to prevent future accidents from occurring,” said Desiree Moore, president of the ESG chapter at UF.

The campaign by UF and Shands Safe Kids focuses on pedestrian safety. According to the Centers for Disease Control, motor vehicle accidents account for every one in five pedestrian deaths among children 1-14 years old in the United States alone. The U.S. Department of Transportation urges communities to use “National Walk to School Day” to create policy that would result in safer routes for both walking and bicycling.