New York, June 8, 2023 — Whizz, an e-bike subscription platform for last-mile delivery drivers, has launched its “Ride Safe” initiative to provide 100 free helmets each month to delivery drivers in New York. Anyone with an active delivery service account can now claim a free helmet. Durable, lightweight and with illuminated headlights and warning tail lights, these helmets have been designed to offer safety and comfort during long rides.With a growing number of riders on New York’s busy streets, traffic-related deaths among cyclists have risen by 8%, while accidents involving delivery workers are growing at an alarming rate. Of the 150,000 couriers working in the city, 62% have been involved in the motor vehicle collision at least once. Some 30% have missed work due to work-related injuries in the last year and, with many operating as independent contractors, even a few days off the roads can be crippling financially.
Worryingly, most retailers don’t provide their drivers with vital safety gear. To show its support to these important workers, Whizz is offering them the protection they need and deserve, absolutely free and with no strings attached. However, with over 1.4 million delivery drivers in the United States alone, the New York-based startup is calling on the market to join its initiative in an effort to provide adequate equipment to every rider that serves the industry.
To claim a free helmet, drivers should fill in the short form on Whizz’s website. They can then collect their helmets from one of the company’s locations in Manhattan or Brooklyn by showing an active delivery driver account and ID.
“Rain, shine, or snow, there’s always a delivery driver on hand to get our orders to us within the hour,” said Ksenia Proka, co-founder and CPO of Whizz. “Offering instant delivery, keeping small businesses afloat, and serving those with limited mobility, they’re among the unsung heroes of our workforce. Yet, they’re too often underappreciated. So much so that they’re not even provided with important safety equipment, despite the frequent crashes that occur on our city streets. More than half of delivery drivers in New York have been involved in an accident in the past year and collisions continue to rise. We feel a responsibility to make sure our clients are safe.”
“We’ve already handed out the first batch of helmets and most drivers couldn’t believe they were free, but they truly are,” said Mike Peregudov, co-founder and CEO of Whizz. “This is not a marketing campaign, the helmets aren’t branded and you don’t have to be a Whizz client to claim one. This isn’t about profit or recognition. It’s about making sure every delivery driver on the streets of New York is safe. However, we cannot protect them all ourselves and will need the wider industry to join us in providing vital safety equipment to those that keep the sector moving forward. We would love for every company in this space to take part in this initiative. Together, we can ensure delivery drivers everywhere feel safe while doing their job.”
About Whizz
Founded in 2021, Whizz is an e-bike subscription platform that offers long-range e-bikes, on-demand maintenance and same-day replacements for last-mile delivery drivers powered by its unique Whizz Automation Platform. The company operates in New York and works with drivers from the biggest names in last-mile delivery such as Uber Eats, Doordash and Grubhub.
For more details please contact Diana Poladova, [email protected]