Nationwide Bicycle Helmet Program

American Children's Safety Network is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization. ACSN's purpose is to help prevent head injuries by promoting bicycle helmet safety through safety programs and educational materials. Funds generated from recycling are used to purchase bicycle helmets and other safety products, which are then donated to police, fire, and health departments, who in turn give them to needy children.


Every day, children riding bicycles, skateboards, scooters, and roller skates fall or are hit by cars or other vehicles.  Those who wear bicycle helmets will usually walk away with little or no head injuries.  Those who don't tend to sustain head injuries that may cause permanent brain damage or even death.

According to Snell, a foundation that tests bicycle helmets:

  • Helmets decrease the risk of head injury by 69 percent, brain injury by 65 percent, and severe brain injury by 74 percent.
  • Helmets work equally well in all age groups.
  • Helmets are equally effective in crashes that do and do not involve motor vehicles.
  • Helmets provide substantial protection against lacerations and fractures to the upper and mid face.
  • Hard-shell, thin-shell and no-shell helmets had similar protective qualities, with hard-shell being the most effective against severe brain injury.
As bicycling grows in popularity as a recreational activity and means of transportation, injuries continue to take their toll.  Each year crashes involving cyclists cause approximately 900 deaths, 23,000 hospital admissions, 580,000 emergency room visits, and 1.2 million visits to physician offices and clinics in the U.S. Bicycle helmets, regardless of type, provide protection to cyclists in all circumstances, including crashes involving motor vehicles.  They should be worn by all riders, regardless of age, experience as cyclists, the distance they plan to ride, or any other factor.

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