Child cyclists urged to wear helmets

11:15am Tuesday 5th August 2008

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CHILDREN in Wiltshire are being offered prizes if they are spotted wearing helmets while out riding their bikes over the next four months.

Wiltshire Police has joined forces with charity The Bicycle Helmet Initiative Trust to run the Helmet Watch scheme in the county from August to December 1.

National statistics, compiled by the Department of Transport, show that helmet-wearing rates among child cyclists is 45 per cent lower than adults, with teenagers lower again, at just 10 per cent.

Neighbourhood Policing Teams in the county will be handing out instant reward packs to children and teenagers if they are spotted wearing helmets while out cycling. These packs will include a puzzle tray, or yoyo, as well as a bookmark. They will also allow children to enter national draws to win bigger prizes.

The scheme, which falls in the charity's 10th anniversary year, has been funded by Formula 1 driver David Coulthard and his fiancée Karen Minier. Sergeant Simon Garrett, from Wiltshire Police's community affairs and diversity team, said: "This is a really exciting initiative, which we are fully supporting.

"Road safety is very important for people of all ages, especially children.

"This project offers an incentive for young people to wear cycle helmets and to begin thinking and learning about road safety from a young age."

Charity chief executive and founder, Angie Lee, said: "The charity has been overwhelmed by the support of police forces throughout the UK and with an estimated 12,000 rewards packs being distributed for the start of Helmet Watch and a further 25,000 packs being rewarded in the next four months this will be a fantastic campaign to help increase helmet use.

"The co operation and enthusiasm of the police forces shows their commitment in helping to safe guard vulnerable road users and we hope the scheme will offer a positive interface between the police and youngsters."