• Parachute Safe Kids Week takes place June 5-11, 2017
  • Now in its 21st year, Safe Kids Week aims to raise awareness about preventable injuries in children
  • Recruiting ‘Everyday Superheroes’ to help champion road safety

Parachute Safe Kids Week takes place across Canada from June 5-11, 2017.

Now in its 21st year, Safe Kids Week is an annual public awareness campaign that aims to raise awareness about preventable injuries in children. The focus this year is active transportation safety: Walk, Bike, Wheel, which includes walking, cycling, skateboarding, scootering, and other wheeled activities.

Each year, approximately 4,700 children are injured due to non-motorized wheeled activities, and another 2,400 children are injured as pedestrians.

Parachute is being supported by organizations across the country to support Canadians to become aware of the importance of active transportation safety in order to prevent injuries and save kids’ lives.

This year’s theme is everyday superhero, which encourages children to become leaders in road safety by learning how to stay active and keep themselves and their loved ones safe on their travels to and from school, to the bus stop, and around their neighbourhood. Parachute also wants everyone to support Safe Kids Week on social media by using the hashtag #everydaysuperhero.

“We encourage kids to lead active and healthy lives, whether they are walking to school, or riding their bike or scooter to a friend’s house,” said Pamela Fuselli, Parachute Interim CEO. “Wheeled activities are a wonderful way for children to explore and learn. We also want to encourage them to stay safe by wearing the proper gear and understanding how to safely navigate their neighbourhoods.”

Safe Kids Week is one of several road safety initiatives led by Parachute, including the Parachute Vision Zero Network. Launched on April 15, 2017, the Parachute Vision Zero Network provides important resources to help achieve the goal of zero deaths or serious injuries on Canadian roads.

For more than two decades, Safe Kids Week has built awareness and has educated Canadian families on how to keep their kids safe and active while having fun.