BHSI

Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute

Bicycle Helmet Program Evaluation Manual

Summary: This 1990 manual was a breath of fresh air at the time, when formal evaluations of bicycle helmet promotion efforts were scarce.

Method for Evaluation of Bicycle Helmet Projects

Prepared by:

New York State Department of Health Injury Control and Disability Prevention Program Note: Earlier material for this program was originally developed in the fall of 1990 by Robert P. Lillis, Manager. Dated parts of it have been omitted here and the remaining sections have been updated by the Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute with materials provided by the New York State Department of Health. The current contact is: Loretta A. Santilli, M.P.H, Bicycle Helmet Project Coordinator, Bureau of Injury Prevention, email: las09@health.state.ny.us



Table of Contents

I. Introduction: The New York State Department of Health Bicycle Helmet Project

The New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH), Bureau of Injury Prevention (BIP), Division of Chronic Disease Control and Prevention, supports a statewide bicycle helmet safety project including helmet distributions, education and awareness for the public and medical professionals, and evaluation research. The project has been funded through various grant awards from the National Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the New York State Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee (GTSC), and the NYS Developmental Disabilities Planning Council (DDPC), as well as from private donations from insurance companies.

Bicycle Helmet Distribution

With the support of the DDPC and insurance donations, bicycle helmet distribution began in the Spring of 1990. Twelve projects were initiated in 11 counties with the highest rates of bicycle/motor vehicle-related injuries. The projects were required to raise private funding to match the number of helmets received from NYSDOH by one-half. In addition, the projects were encouraged to create bicycle safety coalitions to garner community support for the project. During 1991, 19 additional projects were initiated. With 1991-92 grant funding from the DDPC, 31 additional upstate counties, the three remaining New York City (NYC) boroughs, and six Native American reservations were offered projects. By the end of 1992, a total of 71 projects had been initiated (60 upstate counties, 5 NYC, and 6 Native American reservations). Although continued state level funding for the distribution of helmets to the 71 projects is no longer available, many of the projects have been institutionalized through the efforts of the community coalitions.

Legislation

Effective June 1994, statewide legislation requires all children over one year of age and under 14 years of age to wear an approved bicycle helmet while riding a bicycle. (Previously, only children between the ages of one and five, riding as passengers in an approved bicycle safety seat, were required to wear approved bicycle helmets.) The NYS Public Health Law was amended to authorize the Commissioner of Health to establish a statewide bicycle helmet public education and awareness campaign, and a statewide bicycle helmet distribution project.

Effective January 1996, statewide legislation requires all children under 14 years of age to wear an approved helmet while in-line skating. The in-line skating helmet legislation parallels the provisions of the bicycle helmet legislation, but also requires retailers to stock protective gear if they sell in-line skates.

Statewide Bicycle Helmet Campaign

The campaign was initiated in January 1991 with the production and distribution of a television public service announcement (PSA) featuring New York Giants linebacker Carl Banks, encouraging children to wear bicycle helmets. In addition, a mini-poster picturing the athlete as a role model for children was distributed to schools and other youth groups through the local bicycle helmet projects statewide.

The campaign continued with an animated public service announcement and accompanying print materials featuring a “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle” (TMNT) character promoting bicycle helmets for young children. Included in the PSA was a mail-in offer to receive a TMNT sticker. The PSA was extremely popular and over 250,000 stickers were distributed. A brochure developed for parents, available in English or Spanish, was also sent with each sticker requested. An insert describing the bicycle helmet legislation was developed and included with each brochure.

In response to the enactment of the bicycle helmet legislation, NYSDOH produced a series of bicycle helmet safety materials including a brochure, mini-poster, and check stuffer. These materials incorporate the “Head Out With a Helmet” (HOWH) slogan and continue to be distributed widely.

Medical Professional Education

A packet of educational and promotional material was mailed to approximately 7,000 NYS family practice physicians and pediatricians affiliated with the NYS Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics. The packet contains a sample HOWH brochure, a fact sheet about bicycle-related injuries, what physicians can do to promote bicycle helmet use, and a sample prescription for an approved bicycle helmet. In addition, the mailing includes a tear off response to request additional information or bicycle helmet educational materials.

Evaluation Research

In addition to process evaluation, including documentation of the number of helmets distributed, educational presentations conducted, and educational/promotional materials requested, various strategies have been developed to ascertain the effectiveness of the overall project and determine if there has been a change in bicycle helmet ownership and usage. A school-based survey was administered each year between 1989 and 1993 through a sample of Parent Teacher Associations in upstate counties and in a sample of schools in NYC. This survey has documented an increase in ownership and usage of bicycle helmets, most significantly in younger children.

A protocol for conducting an observational study to determine helmet usage has been developed by Bureau of Injury Prevention staff and distributed within NYS and nationally. Pre- and post- law observation studies were conducted statewide to investigate any changes in bicycle helmet usage due to implementation of the bicycle helmet legislation. In addition, the NYSDOH BIP, under cooperative agreement with the CDC, is conducting a bicycle helmet evaluation project to determine which strategy, or combination of strategies, is associated with increasing bicycle helmet usage.

II. Method for Taking Observations

  • Observational Study Design
  • Form for Recording Observations
  • General Guidelines for Taking Observations
  • Instructions for Observers
  • Slides from Observer Training Course


Observational Study Design

Bicycle helmet observations are conducted in six counties across NYS, three times a year, Spring, Summer and Fall. Each county has two observers who are trained on the proper methods of conducting observations, and each county has three observational sites (school, park, playground, etc.). Observers conduct a combination of stationary and driving observations at the three sites. Most often each observer picks one site each and they share the third site. Stationary observations are usually 30 minutes in duration and driving observations are usually 60 minutes although variations by county/site are possible.

An example of how the observations may be conducted is listed below:

Site One Site TwoSite Three
Observer A 1. 30 min stationary + 60 min driving 1. 30 min stationary + 60 min driving 2. 30 min stationary + 60 min driving
Observer B 1. 30 min stationary + 60 min driving 1. 30 min stationary + 60 min driving 2. 30 min stationary + 60 min driving

Observations are conducted on non-rainy, relatively warm days. For each site, the observers conduct the observations at the same time of day and observe from the same vantage point during the stationary observation and follow the same route for the driving observation (determined ahead of time during site visits).

________________________________________________

Bicycle Helmet Observation Form

 

COUNTY:
PLACE OBSERVED:                 Stationary / Driving 
DATE:          TIME: Begin           End 
WEATHER: Overcast / Partly Cloudy / Sunny         Approx. Temp.
OBSERVER'S NAME:
Alone   or  Together    with (name) 

--------------------------


BOYS                            Helmet          No Helmet

            |
            |  10+
            |
            |
            -------------------------------------------------------
            |
            | Under 10
            |            
            |
            -------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------
GIRLS 
 
            |
            |  10+
            |
            |
            -------------------------------------------------------
            |
            | Under 10
            |            
            |
            -------------------------------------------------------


--------------------------

Straight line = Correctly worn helmet 
Squiggly line = Incorrectly worn helmet 

Top of box = Sure of age 
Bottom of box = Unsure of age 

__________________________________________

GENERAL GUIDELINES FOR DRIVING OBSERVATIONS

***Very Important*** For safety concerns please identify a person. other than yourself to drive while you are conducting the observations.

This driver can be different every time and no training is required. The driver will be reimbursed at $8.00 per hour. If a driving observation is conducted in association with a stationary observation and the driver accompanies the observer on a stationary observation, the driver’s time IS reimbursable. Please be sure the driver fills out the driver reimbursement form.

Mileage is reimbursable at $0.31 per mile while on the driving route only. Mileage to and from the driving route is not reimbursable at this time. Please be sure the owner of the automobile fills out the mileage reimbursement form.

Plan the driving route ahead of time based on your knowledge of the community. If a driving route has been pre-established, please try to follow this route as closely as possible. Please submit a map with the driving route clearly marked for each driving observation, even if the route did not change. Please put the date you conducted the driving observation on the map.

Plan an overall loop where the route begins and ends at the same place.

Focus on residential areas rather than business districts or rural areas. Observe for the time allotted based on your instruction packet. If you finish the route before the allotted time is over, restart the route and continue until you reach the time limit. Mark on the map where you stopped. A substantial overlap or shortfall may require modifications the next time to lengthen/shorten the route.

Do not observe while on highways/main streets where traffic is traveling greater than 35 mph. If you must travel these roads to get from one residential area to another, stop the clock and resume once you get to the next area.

If you encounter a traffic jam or construction delay, stop the clock and resume once you are clear.

Avoid double counting children whenever possible. If restarting a route, try to notice if you are observing the same children. Do not count those you know you saw in the beginning. Only observe as you drive one-way on a dead end street. Observing while coming back out will count the same children seen on the way in. Stop the clock if it is a very long dead end and resume when you get back to the main route.

Do not observe within a 2-3 minute (4-5 block) radius of the stationary site. This should eliminate observing children who are riding to and from the site and who may be counted while you are doing the stationary observation.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call Loretta Santilli at (518) 473-1143. THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME TO REVIEW THESE INSTRUCTIONS. YOUR HELP IS GREATLY APPRECIATED!

Instructions: BICYCLE HELMET OBSERVATIONAL STUDY

1. Observations should be completed between the pre-determined dates. If you have trouble completing them by the end of the time period, please let us know.

2. Conduct stationary and/or driving observations for each site based on the specific instructions provided in your observation packet. (Note the date and time started and stopped, and whether it was a stationary or driving observation on the observation forms.)

3. Remember to observe for the specified number of minutes only. Stationary observations are usually 30 minutes. The length of time for the driving observation may vary by county/site. Please refer to your observation packet.

4. If you do not observe any riders, please call us immediately. You may be asked to do another observation if your schedule/weather/time permits. You will be paid if you are asked to do this extra observation.

5. Observe on non-rainy, relatively warm days. (Note the weather on the observation forms.)

6. Observe the same type of day (weekday/weekend) and time of day at each site.

7. When no reliability assessments are being conducted, all observations should be completed separately from the other observer. Please be sure to coordinate schedules so you do not inadvertently show up on the same day. (Check the appropriate ‘alone’ or ‘together’ space on the observation forms.)

8. Make one mark per child in one box noting presence or absence of a helmet, gender (boy/girl), age (10 and older or under 10).

9. When noting age, if you are sure about the age of the child, mark in the upper half of the box; if you are NOT sure about age, mark in the bottom half of the box.

10. If the child is wearing a helmet, note whether the helmet is used properly by marking a straight line for a correctly worn helmet and a squiggly line for an incorrectly worn helmet. (Diagram shows a correctly worn helmet as level on the head, not tilted back or forward or to the side, with the chin strap fastened snugly, not hanging down way below the chin.)

11. If the child is not wearing a helmet, the mark will always be a straight line. There is no way for a helmet to be worn incorrectly (squiggly line) if the rider is not wearing one! 12. Please return final site maps (if applicable), observation forms and reimbursement forms in the enclosed pre-addressed postage paid envelopes once all observations are completed. Please keep a photo copy or some other record of the observations in case forms get lost in the mail. Please limit number of pages to 4-5 per envelope due to postal weight regulations.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call Loretta Santilli at (518) 473-1143.

THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME TO REVIEW THESE INSTRUCTIONS. YOUR HELP IS GREATLY APPRECIATED!

Helmet Observation Training

This is based on slides prepared to go with training conducted by Patricia O’Connor, PhD, consultant to the NY State Department of Health. She can be reached at the Sage Colleges, Troy, NY (518) 274-2005.

Slide 1

Purposes of Research: I

  • To Explain
  • To Predict
  • To Intervene

Slide 2

Purposes of Research: II

  • Discover
  • Demonstrate
  • Refute
  • Replicate

Slide 3

Essential Characteristics of Research

  • Reliability
  • Validity

Slide 4

Research Design

  • Methods used to study

Slide 5

Types of Research

  • Surveys
  • Interviews
  • Observations

Slide 6

Observational Studies are Scientific when they:

  • Serve a research purpose
  • Are planned deliberately
  • Are recorded Systematically
  • Are subjected to reliability and validity checks

Slide 7

Now to practice and to establish reliability of observation:

  • Food Court area: Coat on/off, gender, younger/older
  • Outside cars parking: Seat belt used/not, gender, younger/older
  • Mall area: glasses/not, gender, younger/older
  • Mall area: carrying bag/not, gender, younger/older
  • Mall area: climbing stairs: hold rail/not, gender, younger/older

Slide 8

Training Observation Form (above)

Additional Forms

The New York State material includes forms for driver reimbursement and other administrative needs.


Another Source of Methodology: Alta Planning and Design

Alta Planning is building a national database sponsored by the Institute of Transportation Engineers. They are looking for counts of bicyclists and pedestrians. They have instructions on conducting bicycle and pedestrian counts and surveys as part of their National Documentation Project. They propose that everyone count in September. They provide instructions for counts and surveys. They even have an Excel spreadsheet you can use. Unfortunately, they left out any reference at all to helmet observations or questions, so you would have to add that in, and it is not part of the national database they are trying to build.

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