NEWPORT BEACH : School Supports Use of Bicycle Helmets

Bicycle Helmet Safety Week begins today at Horace Ensign Intermediate School and promises to be an ambitious event filled with rallies, demonstrations, free gifts, and celebrity appearances all geared toward getting children to protect their heads.

Parents say they can’t change students’ aversion to wearing bicycle helmets in just one week, but if they can encourage a few more children to wear the bulky head gear, the activities will be a success.

“We’re just trying to make the kids aware,” said parent Kim Pollard, an organizer of the event. “They’re so fashion conscious. They think they’re nerds if they wear them. And they all think the same thing--it’s not going to happen to them.”

Police Department officials will discuss some of the situations they have witnessed where helmets have saved children from severe injuries, and the Fire Department will stage an accident to dramatize what can happen to a child not wearing a helmet.

Thursday, a medical group will show X-rays of head injuries and discuss the difficulties of mending a broken skull. In addition, a teen-ager, who was hit near the school and now is confined to a wheelchair, will tell the students his story.

The week’s activities also will include a lighter side, including a pizza party and an appearance by California Angels trainer Rick Smith. At the event, helmet-wearers can add their names to a banner-style list that will be displayed throughout the year.

Donations from the city, local corporations and the Bell helmet company will make it possible for some children to receive free helmets.

Parents say they hope that at least 50% of the estimated 400 bike riders at the school will be wearing helmets when they count again in February. Currently, about 20 students wear helmets to school.