Try to guess the leading cause of accidents for kids

Cycling is the leading cause of accidental injury hospitalization in Canadian kids under the age of 14.

That is the impetus behind a bike rodeo held at Lansdowne Public School on Monday as part of Safe Kids Week, an annual public awareness campaign designed to raise awareness about the frequency and severity of preventable childhood injuries.

Parachute Canada, in partnership with Greater Sudbury Police Service, the Sudbury Cyclist Union, the Brain Injury Centre and Vale, set up an obstacle course to teach children the rules of the road when riding a bike.

“We find the earlier we can get to the kids, the better,” said Valerie Smith, director of solutions, Parachute Canada. “Through these events, we teach them about the fragility of the brain, how important it is to protect the head and that bike helmets fit properly.

"It's super important that parents make sure helmets fit properly.”

Parachute Canada and Safe Kids Week is aligned with United Nations' global road safety campaign, which looks at children as vulnerable road users.

This is the 19th year for Safe Kids Week. A national charity, Parachute officially formed in July 2012, when the former Safe Communities Canada, Safe Kids Canada, SMARTRISK and ThinkFirst Canada joined together to become one leader in injury prevention. Parachute’s injury prevention solutions, knowledge mobilization, public policy, and social awareness efforts are designed to help keep Canadians safe.