GARDEN GROVE : Coupons Soften Cost of Bicycle Helmets

A year ago, traffic officer Karl Mansfield was thrown off his motorcycle as he struck the rear bumper of a pickup he was chasing for a traffic violation.

“It was like being hit by Lyle Alzado on the football field,” Mansfield said. “I hit the asphalt pretty hard. There was ringing in my ears. I tried to get up, but I couldn’t.”

But thanks to the helmet he was wearing, Mansfield, 30, escaped serious injuries when he was thrown 20 feet. The incident has made him an advocate of helmets for young bicycle riders.

“It’s a cheap insurance,” he said. “But you cannot put a price tag on your life.”

Mansfield has started a program in the Police Department that will make it easier for children and their parents to buy a cycling helmet. With the help of a bike-shop owner, the police will distribute half-price coupons for kids’ helmets.

The program began Wednesday as Mansfield announced that 17,000 flyers on bike safety, with a coupon attached to each, will be distributed today to Garden Grove students from third grade to high school.

The coupons may be redeemed at Dave’s Schwinn at 2717 W. Lincoln Ave. in Anaheim, Ocean Schwinn at 19730 Beach Blvd. in Huntington Beach and Dave’s Bicycle Plus at 540 E. 1st St. in Tustin.

“This is not about profits, this is about safety,” said Dave Coombs, 48, a former Garden Grove resident who owns the three bike shops.

A state law went into effect in January requiring children under 18 riding bicycles to wear a helmet. This year they get only a warning, but next year they can be fined, Mansfield said.

“We don’t want to give children tickets,” Mansfield said. “We’d rather have them wearing helmets.”

A top-quality bike helmet can cost $40 or more, and Mansfield has heard many parents complain about price. The coupon program is an answer to that, he said.

“Parents look at it as an expense,” said John Palmer, regional sales manager of Schwinn Cycling & Fitness Inc., which has joined the program. “But it’s to protect their children. It takes a small fall to cause serious head injuries.”

Coombs, who has been selling bicycles for 16 years, said it’s important to emphasize safety and minimize risk in cycling. He also emphasized that helmets must fit properly and meet safety requirements.