Parachute Safe Kids Week is celebrated across Canada from June 5-11, 2017. Now in its 21st year, Safe Kids Week is an annual campaign raising awareness about preventable injuries in children. The focus this year is active transportation safety, which includes walking, cycling, skateboarding, scootering and other wheeled activities.

Each year in Grey Bruce, approximately 596 children are taken to emergency due to cycling injuries and another 41 children are injured as pedestrians.

This year's Safe Kids Week theme is Everyday Superhero, which encourages children to become leaders in road safety and be a role model for others. By learning how to keep themselves and their loved ones safe on their travels to and from school and around their neighbourhood, children can be Everyday Superheroes.

Throughout Safe Kids Week, the Grey Bruce Health Unit will be posting social media tips on how to be safe while using active transportation. Follow us at @GBPublicHealth on Twitter and @greybrucepublichealth on Facebook.

Parachute is a national charity helping Canadians stop the clock on preventable injuries. The injury impact is staggering. Preventable injuries are the #1 killer of children. They cost the Canadian economy $27B a year, and worst of all, one child dies every nine hours. Through education, knowledge and empowerment, Parachute is working to save lives and create an injury-free Canada.

Parachute has many resources available for parents, community organizations and others who may be interested. You can find them at www.parachutecanada.org/safekidsweek.

source: media release, Grey Bruce Health Unit