Hasta luego mis amigos!

Updates:
The Safety is Sexy Campaign is taking a break and traveling through Central America. We will be back in January 2011.

Our 5,000+ bulk supply of stickers has run dry! We will now be selling our merchandise (stickers, shirts, buttons) through our online store, The Safety is Sexy Campaign Shop.

Since sticker printing and mailing has ceased, all further campaign proceeds will be donated to 'cheap helmet' programs in the Chicago area. Thank you so much for all of your support and generous donations over the past 5 years.

Cheers,
Lauren
The Safety is Sexy Campaign

P.s. If you have a helmet organization in your community that could benefit from a small donation, please write The Safety is Sexy Campaign with more information.

Asheville on Bikes!

Check out Asheville on Bikes, a grassroots bicycle organization from North Carolina, and a fan of The Safety is Sexy Campaign!

(Jeff Zimmerman put this video together with over 7000 photos during an Asheville on Bikes event, "Bike Love 2010".)

Check out Cyclechic

Caz from Cyclechic Ltd. wrote to tell us about her business:

"Our aim is to find helmets that are stylish and flattering to encourage more women to were them when cycling. We...promote a helmet as a sexy, stylish option."

Thanks Caz! Here is where you can buy one in the States!

Or if you are abroad, check them out at 58 - 60 Rivington Street, London, England.

Skating the Solo Estilo Le's

Photo credit: Kyle Paul Turner

Pedal Panties!

While walking by a store window the other day in Berkley, CA, The Safety is Sexy Campaign came across these fabulous panties!

We went inside to check them out and as the name suggests, these are padded panties that are great for biking - they are comfortable, sexy and high quality! You can order through their website or at Beauty & Attitude in Berkeley, CA!

Ski helmet saved 6-year-old's life

"At best, doctors said 6-year-old Julia Griggs would have suffered a 'significant brain injury' had she not been wearing a helmet when she hit a tree while downhill skiing last week. At worst? She might not have made it." Read entire article here.

Hundreds gather to honor couple killled in cycling accident

Photo Source: Tom Reel, San Antonio Express News.

BOERNE, Texas -- Hundreds of people came together to remember a San Antonio a husband and wife who were killed while riding a bicycle built for two.

About 300 cyclists wore black and bicycle-shaped pins Tuesday night in honor of Greg and Alex Bruehler. The unique tribute included a church service and a bike ride.

"They're just a caring couple with a wonderful daughter who, unfortunately, doesn't have a mom and daddy anymore," said family friend.

The couple's little girl, 7-year-old Kylie Bruehler, stood outside the church while the cyclists formed an honor guard.

The people who took part in the memorial ride said they are not only mourning the couple's loss, they are also trying to raise awareness about cycling safety on the roads.

Story from WOAI.com

Time off: Heading to Iceland!

Greetings!

The Safety is Sexy Campaign is hitting the road and taking off to Iceland!

We hear the roads may be a bit difficult to navigate by bicycle, but we're up to the challenge and will report back at the beginning of September!

Here's to safe summer vacations for all!

(Send us photos from your summer helmeted travels and we'll post them up!)

Cheers,
Lauren
The Safety is Sexy Campaign

Hotter in a Hard Hat

Wes Cheney, photographer with Norfolk Southern Railroad, prepares to rig lighting on the railroad trestle across the Potomac River in Shepherdstown, West Virginia. For twenty consecutive years, Norfolk Southern has been the safest railroad in North America, with an injury rate lower than that of most restaurants and hotels. Picture by Luke Sharrett, courtesy of Norfolk Southern, Corp.

New Troxel Web Portal Raises Helmet Safety Awareness

Picture borrowed from the Troxel website.

A new helmet safety resource center was recently launched by Troxel, an equestrian helmet company. Read the news blast below and check out their new site here!

San Diego, CA – July 2, 2009 – Troxel LLC, the worldwide leader in ASTM/SEI-certified equestrian helmets, today unveils the Troxel SafetyResource Center, an interactive educational resource for the equestrian community. Troxel’s Safety Resource Center is the most comprehensive and up-to-date collection of equestrian helmet safety information available online. Organized into categories for adults, kids, and educators, the site provides an assortment of information, games, and resources designed to engage equestrian riders, promote safe helmet practices and ultimately reduce the occurrences and severity of headinjuries.“We are excited to deliver a site that is both educational and fun thatappeals to riders of all ages,” said Shay Timms, CEO of Troxel. “The Safety Resource Center gives us a unique opportunity to share necessary helmetinformation with the community in new ways and we are excited to see what the community will add.”

Highlights of the new site include:
• For Adults: Helmet Evaluation, Proper Fit Guide, and Online Resources
• For Kids: Games, Helmet Myths, Tips for Finding the Right Helmet
• For Educators: Lesson Plans, Certification Information, Testing Videos and Studies
• HeadSmart Blog Troxel’s Safety Resource Center incorporates Web 2.0 technologies, allowing visitors to interact and contribute their own perspectives on safety and helmet use. Their stories and comments appear in the “HeadSmart Blog,” where riders can recount firsthand experiences of “kicks falls and other closecalls.”

The new website was designed by Teneleven Interactive, an Internet marketing
agency based in San Diego, CA.

“We hope the Safety Resource Center will bring people together and help raise awareness of the importance of head protection,” said Timms.“Including riders’ actual stories, told in their own words, adds a level of impact and a fresh perspective to the safety center. We want to ensure thattheir stories are at the heart of everything we are doing to create safe products.”

About Troxel: Troxel is the world's leading provider of ASTM / SEI certified equestrian helmets for competitive, schooling and recreational riding. Established in1898, Troxel is recognized for its innovative design and research leadership in helmetry. Based in San Diego, California, Troxel now dedicates all its resources to equestrian helmets and related accessories, and has providedover three million helmets to the equestrian market.

Contact: Karisa Dern

Be Cool

Read this recent post from the Consumer Report Health blog that talks about a recent survey that finds more than half of Americans don’t wear a bike helmet.

Model shots

Paul, from the Sexiness of Biking website, wrote to say hi and show us some helmet photos. Check out these photos by Norah Hoover - more great pics on the website.

I <3 Monareta!

Check them out on their website .

Thinking Saves Lifes

Bike Safety PSA #1

Thanks to Gwadzilla for passing on this great video!

Riding Pretty

We just discovered the Riding Pretty website, an online store offering stylish bicycle helmet covers! Founder Shelly S. says her helmet covers are "sustainable, handmade, 'slow fashion' designs". Check out the Riding Pretty blog, where you can write Shelly to request a custom design!

Custom design by Riding Pretty

The Confederation for the Protection of Heads and Brains

Dustin John Bromley wrote in to let us know about his awesome non-profit organization, PROHAB. Read about it below and also check them out on facebook:

The Confederation for the Protection of Heads and Brains (PROHAB) is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing helmets by donation to active individuals who wouldn't normally use them. We strive to destroy any negative image projected upon helmets and protective wear. We love fun, and being safe while having it. For more info, or to request a helmet, please contact Dustin.

Times are Tough

Due to an overwhelming number of recent requests, we are now sending out stickers to folks who can help us out with a small donation. (We also have decided to start asking for donations because we are in a recession...and everyone needs to blame something on the recession.)

Any bit helps to keep us sustainable - seriously, any bit - $1.00 is all we ask to cover the cost of postage, material & sticker printing. If you want a bigger handful, let us know, throw a buck or 2 more our way, and they will be at your door step. Donations can be made via PayPal, a secured link. Once we hear from you, a handful of stickers will be sent to your post address (be sure to include a post address) within the next three weeks or so. All donations go directly towards the printing and delivery of stickers.

Thank you so much for helping to spread the "You'd look hotter in a helmet" message!

Cheers,
Lauren
The Safety is Sexy Campaign

Death sparks helmet debate on the slopes

Actress Natasha Richardson's recent death, due to an epidural hematoma after a skiing accident, has reopened the helmet debate for winter sports.

The tragic death on Wednesday of actress Natasha Richardson, following what a first appeared to be a minor fall while skiing, has sparked a debate on whether it should be mandatory for skiers and snowboarders to wear safety helmets. According to a BBC report, there has been a sharp increase in the number of skiers and snowboarders wearing helmets after several high profile skiing accidents this year - Medical News Today

Read these articles surrounding the topic through the Chicago Tribune and The Guardian.

HEADS UP! ReDefine the Helmet Competition

HEADS UP! ReDefine the Helmet Competition

Calling all artists of all ages, backgrounds and descriptions to showcase your talents. Your charge is to Re-invent, Re-define and Re-brand the bike helmet to save lives. Design is the extra sizzle and awesome sauce that can change minds and shift actions. We are reaching out to others with ideas and imaginative design skills. Can you help to redefine bike helmets as an essential fashion statement?

To Submit: Contact Adam or Noma @ The Renaissance Youth Bike Shop to register, submit designs and receive special prototype helmet canvas. Concept Designs due April 24th, 2009. Completed helmets due May 22nd, 2009

Award & Exhibition Opportunities: You could be eligible for a 25% creator’s commission on a custom line of helmets offered for sale at local shops. Selected entries will also be featured in Art-O-Matic 2009, on our University-linked website and in many other broadcast and print media.

Eligibility: Any resident of Washington, D.C. metro area, Maryland, Virginia.

Judging criteria: Youth appeal, humor, and audacity rule. Vibrant colors, powerful letterforms and character renderings welcome. Creative pastiche, sampling o.k. Please, no copywrite or trademark violations. Collaborations encouraged. A fully realized, completed helmet is a necessary part of the final entry.

Jurors: Youth and staff at The Engaged University (http://www.engagedu.umd.edu/)

Who we are: The Renaissance Youth Bike Shop (a project of The Engaged University @ UMCP). We are a youth-based, bike recycling shop and afterschool program that uses the bicycle as a catalyst to enhance the lives of young people through educational, recreational and entrepreneurial hands-on learning opportunities.

Contact us!
• Adam Schwartz, 301-405-3213, adamgs@umd.edu
• Noma Mpofu, 301-405-2285, nmpofu@umd.edu