(a) “Proper Head Gear” is defined as a helmet fitted to the size of the bicyclist and which meets or exceeds the standards of the American National Standards Institute or of the Snell Memorial Foundation for helmets manufactured before March 1, 1999; and shall meet or exceed the standards set by the Consumer Product Safety Institute for helmets manufactured after March 1, 1999.
(b) The Manager shall develop a program to educate the citizenry regarding the dangers of riding bicycles without protective head gear and to develop a program of incentives to motivate parents to ensure that their children wear proper head gear when bicycling and to motivate child bicyclists to wear such head gear. As an incentive those children that do not own proper head gear may obtain a helmet free of charge from the Police Department.
(c) The Manager shall develop a program to educate parents to better ensure safe cycling by their children and to educate children to wear proper head gear when bicycling.
(d) Said program shall be implemented by the Police Department in accordance with protocols established by the Manager. When officers on duty observe minor bicyclists wearing protective helmets with the chin strap appropriately fastened under the chin, they may wave the child over and give him/her an emblem of responsible cycling.
(e) When officers on duty observe minors bicycling without properly fitted protective head gear, they may wave the bicyclist over, ask the child to give his/her name and address, and shall inform the child of the hazards of riding without a helmet. The purpose of any such stop shall be to educate and provide information pertinent to the safety offered by the wearing of helmets. (Ord. 01-25. Passed 5-21-2001.)