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Use Your Head This Holiday - Don't Forget the Helmet |
SourcePrudential HealthCare ForumsHealth, Safety, Nutrition and KidsRelated ArticlesWear Helmets To Prevent Sports Related Head Injuries: Safety AlertGeneral Information about Traumatic Brain Injury Watching Closely If Your Child Bumps Her Head Information and news releases furnished by the members of PR Newswire, who are responsible for their fact and content. |
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ROSELAND, N.J., Oct. 29, 1997 -- According to surveys by retail groups and consumer publications such as Consumer Reports, bikes and in-line skates will be two of the most popular gifts for children this holiday season. However, when parents purchase these big ticket items for their children, they must not forget one of the least expensive, but most important gifts of all -- a helmet. "Buying your child a bike or pair of in-line skates without a helmet is like buying a car without the seat belts," said Doug Kronenberg, vice president of marketing, Prudential HealthCare(SM). "It's critical that we teach our children that wearing a helmet every time they bike or skate is smart and cool, and what better time to start this education than with the gift of a helmet this holiday." As part of the Prudential HealthCare Bicycle Helmet Program, the company has negotiated a special arrangement with Troxel(R) to provide helmets that meet safety standards at a discounted price of $10 by calling a toll-free number: 1-800-MY-HEALTH. In addition, if a helmet order is placed by December 5, delivery is guaranteed before December 24. Troxel is one of America's leading helmet manufacturers, and a designer of the Official U.S. Olympic Cycling Team helmet. A variety of styles and sizes of helmets are available through this offer, and each helmet comes with a lifetime impact replacement policy. If the helmet is ever involved in an accident, return it for a free inspection and, if appropriate, a free replacement will be provided. This special offer is available to consumers nationwide through December 1998. According to the U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC), 67 million Americans bicycle and 22.5 million in-line skate. The Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association recently reported in-line skating to be both the most popular and fastest growing sport among children. A recent helmet safety research analysis, compiled by Prudential HealthCare, showed that one death each day and one brain injury every four minutes could be prevented or reduced by wearing bike helmets. In addition, fewer than 15 percent of children and adolescents wear helmets regularly. In response, Prudential HealthCare and the Brain Injury Association joined to launch a national public safety campaign to raise awareness on the importance of consistent helmet use when biking or skating. As part of the "Gear Up for Helmet Safety" campaign, the organizers are sponsoring public service announcements featuring actress/mother Teri Garr, and held National Helmet Safety Month events during October in cities across the country including Atlanta, Houston, Jacksonville, Fla., and Jersey City, N.J. These free events featured Team GT exhibition bikers demonstrating that safety on wheels is cool, and program mascot, "Helmutt," a helmet-wearing shaggy dog, who helped kids pass an official helmet safety check-up. Headquartered in Roseland, N.J., Prudential HealthCare is a business unit of The Prudential Insurance Company of America. It administers managed health care benefits plans in more than 40 major metropolitan areas nationwide, serving approximately 4.7 million members. Prudential HealthCare also offers a variety of other employee benefit products and services, including dental, managed specialty and traditional health. Additional information on Prudential HealthCare and special offers like the discount helmet program is available on the Internet at http://www.prudential.com/healthcare. Prudential HealthCare is a brand name for certain of the employee benefit products underwritten by The Prudential Insurance Company of America and its subsidiaries, Prudential Health Care Plan, Inc., Prudential Health Care Plan of California, Inc., Prudential Health Care Plan of Connecticut, Inc., Prudential Health Care Plan of Georgia, Inc., Prudential Health Care Plan of New York Inc., Prudential Dental Maintenance Organization, Inc., and for the business unit that administers them. The subsidiaries are solely responsible for their own financial condition and contractual obligations. CONTACT: Julie Mandell of Prudential, 973-802-4884 |