Kim Barraclough
Northern News Services

NNSL (July 02/99) - The 1999 Bicycle Helmet Giveaway and Safety Program has kicked into full swing for the summer.

From June 23-28 the program, which is run by the Yellowknife Safe Communities Working Group, gave away 317 helmets to students in grades 1 through 3 across the city.

The group, made up of the Yellowknife Fire Department, the Stanton Regional Health Board, Yellowknife Health and Social Services and the Department of Health and Social Services, has also given out nine helmets through phase two of the program where children can get a helmet by dropping by the fire department.

A parent/caregiver contract must be signed first saying that the child doesn't have a helmet.

Altogether, 833 children, making up 39 classes in six schools were taught the importance of helmets.

Students who do own helmets were encouraged to bring them in and have them checked to make sure they fit properly and were safe. If they don't fit properly or aren't safe then the student will be given a new helmet.

The total number of students with helmets that were inspected was 369.

"We were replacing more helmets than we were giving away," said, deputy fire chief Mike Lowing, who added that 147 of the inspected helmets were deteriorating badly or were being worn incorrectly and had to be replaced.

The schools also played a big part in the program, Lowing said, as it was not difficult to get them to agree to the idea.

"I didn't have to sell the program, it was like, 'when?'" Lowing said.

The Yellowknife Safe Communities Committee expects to see more initiatives such as this one in the future.

"I think you can expect that there will be further initiatives in the future," said Penny Sutcliffe, medical health officer for the Stanton Regional Health Board.