Apex Police give 'tickets' to kids caught with helmets
Watch out, children of Apex. Apex police officers are on the lookout for kids on bikes. And they have tickets!
Posted — UpdatedWatch out, children of Apex. Apex police officers are on the lookout for kids on bikes. And they have tickets!
Officers are handing out "citations" to kids caught wearing their helmets while on their bikes, scooters or skateboards, obeying traffic laws and riding in safe locations. The kids, ages 12 and under, can turn in those "citations" for a free ice cream cone at the Apex Chick-fil-A.
“Through this program, we are looking for opportunities to reinforce safe riding, reach out to and interact with young riders and their parents, families and friends and help keep our community safe,” said Apex Police Chief John Letteney in a press release. “It all starts before even getting on a bike or skateboard by making sure your children (and you too!) wear a properly sized and fastened helmet and other appropriate safety equipment.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, children, adolescents and young adults - ages 5 to 24 - have the highest rates of nonfatal bicycle-related injuries. They comprised nearly 60 percent of bike-related injuries in U.S. emergency departments. Skateboard injuries, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics, were the cause of more than 68,000 emergency department visits and 1,500 hospitalizations in kids younger than 14 in 2009.
The Academy says that a bike helmet can prevent up to 88 percent of serious brain injuries caused by bike collisions and falls.
So, if the law and injury statistics aren't enough to convince kids and their parents to keep those helmets on, now there's the incentive of a sweet treat in Apex.
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