Prior to the holidays, Officer Chris Pilger observed a teen riding a bicycle without a helmet. Officer Pilger made contact with the boy and learned he did own a helmet. At the time, the officer only knew the boy’s first name.
Officer Pilger knew of a bicycle and pedestrian safety grant the Santa Clara Police Department had received from the California Office of Traffic Safety and inquired further. The grant included the purchase of 84 helmets for upcoming events hosted by the Department. The helmets had been purchased and were expected to arrive by the end of the calendar year.
Yesterday, Officer Pilger went to Cabrillo Middle School to locate the boy he had seen riding without a helmet, and spoke with the school’s Vice Principal, Marc Auger, and requested to connect with the boy afterschool. Before leaving campus, Officer Pilger visited the school’s bicycle racks and noticed there were six bicycles without helmets attached.
Officers Mark Bonenberger, Anthony Layton and Pilger returned to Cabrillo Middle School afterschool with helmets for all the teens that did not have them. The students picked their favorite style and color, and agreed to always wear the helmets when riding their bicycle or scooter.
If you ride, California state law requires riders under age 18 to wear a helmet on a bicycle, scooter, skateboard and roller/in-line skates.