PORT TOWNSEND — Children caught doing the right thing could end up with free ice-cream cones.
East Jefferson Fire-Rescue uniformed personnel will distribute “safe rider citation” cards to the parents of children they see wearing helmets while bicycling or skateboarding, said Bill Beezley, department spokesman.
The card not only commends the child for safe behavior, it also entitles the child to one free reduced-fat vanilla ice-cream cone from the McDonald’s at 310 W. Sims Way in Port Townsend.
“It’s a wonderful opportunity to provide kids who are doing the right thing with an immediate reward,” said Assistant Chief Steve Craig.
“We know that the child who receives an ice-cream cone will remember that moment the next time they’re hopping on their bike or skateboard and will be more likely to strap on their helmet.”
The program, Safe Kids Pierce County Safe Rider Citation, is in its eighth year, the second with McDonald’s as a corporate partner.
Several bicycle and skateboarding injuries were reported to East Jefferson Fire-Rescue in 2010, Beezley said.
“In some instances, the victim wasn’t wearing a helmet,” he said in a statement, adding that in one such instance, the injured person was airlifted to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle for treatment.
Helmets are important, regardless of the age of the cyclist, Craig said.
“We have a large number of cyclists in this community, and at the speed of traffic on some local roads, the helmet could prove the difference between minor injuries and a serious or even fatal head injury,” Craig said.
According to the Children’s Safety Network, bicycle injuries and deaths affect children and young people more often than any other age group, and young cyclists are more likely than adults to die of head injuries from such crashes.
In 2005, 44 percent of nonfatal bicycle injuries occurred in children and youths ages 5 to 20.
Among children and youths up to 19 years old, head injuries accounted for 62.6 percent of bicycle fatalities in 2000, Beezley said.