In 2003, Texas Bicycle Coalition, partnered with Bell Sports to make bicycle helmets available at a greatly discounted price to organizations and individuals wishing to provide helmets to cyclists who might not otherwise be able to afford one.

The Helmets by the Dozen program was developed as a way to encourage helmet wearing through give away programs. Helmets purchased through this program are not for resale. Bicycle helmets are available for $6.99 per helmet with a minimum order of twelve. Shipping is free (UPS Ground) unless a rush order is needed and then the rush deliver costs indicated on the order form are per helmet.

Texas Bicycle Coalition receives a one dollar donation from Bell Sports for each helmet purchased through this program. Because of Bell Sports generosity, your commitment to bicycle safety through this program benefits both the individuals who receive a helmet and the programs of the Texas Bicycle Coalition.

This fall, Texas Bicycle Coalition and Bell Sports will also make multi-sport helmets and EMS/police bike patrol helmets available at a discounted rate. The multi-sport helmet program will be similar to the Helmets by the Dozen program for bicycle helmets, but makes available helmets used by inline skaters and skateboarders. The police and EMS bike patrol helmets will be available for law enforcement agencies only.

Thousands of helmets have been purchased through this program by local bicycle clubs, rehabilitation hospitals, shelters, schools, after school programs, Girl Scout and Boy Scout troops, Blue Santa programs and many other organizations as well as individuals. Helmets from this program have been given away to children and adults at bicycle events, bicycle give-away programs and holiday gift programs to name a few. This simple, inexpensive item has the potential to save lives and could be the single most useful piece of gear a bicyclist could receive.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 622 pedalcyclists were killed and an additional 46,000 were injured nationally in traffic crashes in 2003. In 2000, more than 373,000 children were treated for bicycle-related injuries at hospital emergency rooms.

Head injuries are the most common and severest form of injury experienced in a bicycle crash. According to the National SAFE KIDS Campaign, NHTSA and the American Academy of Pediatrics, bicycle helmets can reduce the risk of a head injury by 85 percent and permanent brain injury by 88 percent, and 75 percent of fatal bicycle crashes involving children and adolescents could have been prevented with the use of bicycle helmets.

This year, save a life, give a helmet!