BIKE HELMET SAVES SUNNYVALE TEENAGER

SUNNYVALE, Calif. – In May, 13-year-old Frank Chen was cited by the Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety (DPS) for riding his bicycle without a helmet. On September 24, Chen was again riding his bike – this time wearing a helmet – when he was struck by and dragged under a car. He survived with only scrapes and bruises, thanks in large part to the helmet he wore.

Rescuers from a nearby automotive shop grabbed jacks to lift the vehicle off the boy and pulled him to safety. The rescuers – Vince Lozano, Troy Cummings, Paul Hensley and Ruben De La Cruz – received a certificate of recognition from the Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety this afternoon (October 13).

This incident graphically demonstrates the reasons behind Sunnyvale’s enforcement of bicycle helmet laws – helmets save lives. A 2002 study by the National Safe Kids Campaign found that helmets can reduce the risk of brain injury by as much as 88 percent.