AMI Bike Helmets for Drivers

AMI is encouraging drivers to swap their four wheels for a bike by handing out 1,500 free bike helmets to Cantabrians drivers ahead of Bike Wise’s Go Bike Day which this year will take place on February 10.

All commuters are being urged to join the thousands of New Zealanders who will hop on a bike in celebration of the annual event. Therefore, on January 27th, AMI will be giving away 1,500 free helmets to Christchurch drivers who pledge to bike rather than drive.

“The people of Christchurch love sports and outdoor activities, it’s in our blood. The city’s landscape makes it perfect for daily cycling and many of us are fans and doing it already” says Merran Anderson, General Manager of Marketing & Customer Communications at AMI. “So we’re giving drivers a hand to get out of their car and start cycling by giving away a quality, safety approved helmet to help keep them safe while cycling.”

AMI’s initiative  aligns with a number of other community group efforts, additionally the Canterbury District Health Board (CDHB) is encouraging sustainable travel as part of its new “Zero Hero” sustainability programme. Canterbury DHB research showed the reasons why DHB staff want to get out of their cars is because they are sick of being stuck in traffic, they want to save money, be healthier and they want to be more environmentally friendly by causing less pollution.

James Young, Canterbury DHB Sustainability Adviser, said Zero Heroes is based on the successful Clever Commuters pilot project it launched with Christchurch City Council and Environment Canterbury to encourage staff at Hillmorton Hospital in Middleton, Christchurch, to change how they get to and from work. As a result of the pilot, 140 staff pledged to bike to work at least twice a week. More than a third of these were new to cycling. AMI is will also be supplying helmets to the Canterbury DHB to inspire their own people to give cycling a go. “Clever Commuters was all about breaking down barriers to alternative travel. Providing new cyclists with helmets means there’s one less thing for someone thinking about cycling to tick off,” James said.

What is happening? On Wednesday, 27th of January Christchurch commuters should watch out for the AMI Insurance bike helmet drops at and city car parks. We’ll be handing out helmet to drivers who pledge to ride to work. If anyone misses out on their chance to grab one, there will be a limited stock of helmets available from all of AMI’s seven  Christchurch branches. Drop off locations will be announced on www.facebook.com/AMIinsuranceNZ.

Let’s bike to a better Christchurch!