Lake Mary police offering free helmets to boost summer bike safety

Free, professionally fitted helmets were being handed out in Lake Mary as summer biking, scootering and skateboarding activity picked up around neighborhoods and parks. The Lake Mary Police Department said the program was aimed at children, teens and adults who need better protection and may not otherwise have the right gear.

Appointments were required for the helmet fitting, and minors had to come with a parent or legal guardian who signed the Bicycle Helmet Agreement. The helmets were fitted by officers in the department’s Community Relations Division, a detail that mattered as much as the giveaway itself because a loose helmet can leave a rider exposed when a crash happens. People could schedule an appointment by calling the police department at 407-585-1330 or visiting the department at 165 E Crystal Lake Ave. in Lake Mary.

The city said the helmet program was funded by the Florida Department of Transportation and was part of a broader public-safety effort that also includes bike safety, scooter safety and car-seat education. Lake Mary officials have tied the program to the season for a reason: more children are outside in the summer, and more of them are using bicycles, scooters, skateboards and e-bikes in the same spaces where drivers, walkers and park visitors mix.

Florida law already places a clear standard on younger riders. Under state statute, bicycle riders and passengers younger than 16 must wear a helmet that is properly fitted, fastened securely with a strap and meets the federal bicycle helmet standard. The rule also covers children riding in bicycle trailers or semitrailers attached to bicycles. That makes fit a public-safety issue, not just a comfort issue.

Health officials back up the push. The CDC says bicycle helmets reduce the risk of head and brain injuries in a crash, and that helmet laws help increase helmet use while reducing crash-related injuries and deaths among children and adults. FDOT’s pedestrian and bicycle safety program also supports traffic-safety partners through subgrants for efforts that reduce serious injuries and fatalities, and its safety resource center distributes helmets and other materials.

Lake Mary has pushed hands-on bike safety before, including a free kids’ bicycle rodeo and helmet-fitting event in September 2024. This summer’s effort follows the same model: give families a helmet, fit it correctly and remove one more barrier to riding safely.