Children in Prince Edward Island will be a little safer thanks to a grant provided by the provincial government to Operation Headway, says Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal Robert Vessey.
“My department is always looking at ways to improve safety for cyclists, especially children,“ said Minister Vessey. “By providing a $1,000 grant to Operation Headway, we help that program distribute bicycle helmets to children in need which, in turn, helps the department reach its goal of a helmet for every individual who rides a bicycle.”
Since 2009, Operation Headway has been educating Island cyclists on the importance of wearing a bicycle helmet. When riders are ticketed by police for not wearing a helmet, they are given the option of paying a fine, or attending a two-hour, hard-hitting presentation on the importance of helmet safety. The program also distributes helmets to children who may not have the means to purchase a helmet of their own. Riders already wearing helmets can also receive rewards.
“We applaud the province for its efforts to support Operation Headway, and for all the promotion they do to try and improve safety for cyclists on the Island,” said Sue Pettit, Island coordinator for Operation Headway. ”We’ve seen a steady, but slow increase in the number of riders wearing helmets over the last few years, and this grant will go a long way to improving those numbers even further.”
For more information on helmet safety visit www.gov.pe.ca/bicyclesafety.