NEW MIDDLETOWN, Ohio - The New Middletown Police Department passes our free helmets to promote bicycle safety.

The police department has been given 70 helmets from the American Academy of Pediatrics following the recent in Michigan where a driver struck and killed five cyclists.

The helmets are valuable to anyone who goes to the police department Monday through Friday during normal business hours.

They range in size from extra small, small and medium.

The CDC says wearing a properly fitted helmet helps prevent the risk of head injury.

Other injury prevention methods from the CDC include:

• Follow the rules of the road:
  • ride on the right side of the road-with the traffic flow, not against it
  • obey traffic signs and signals just as if you were driving a car
  • use correct hand signals
  • stop at all signs and red lights
  • stop and look both ways before entering a street
• Depending on the laws in your community, children may ride on sidewalks and paths.
• If riding at dawn, at dusk, or at night, wear reflective clothing (not just light-colored clothing) and make sure that the bike has a front headlight and a rear red reflector or flashing red light.

Police also urge drivers to be observant and slow down near bike riders.