THOUSANDS of youngsters will be given on-the-spot prizes over the next few months if they are seen wearing a cycle helmet.

As part of this years Helmet Watch competition, the instant reward packs will be handed out by road safety officers, community police officers and teachers throughout England and Wales.

Sponsored by fuel company Jet, Helmet Watch is a major incentive to encourage children and young people to wear helmets and a major annual activity of The Bicycle Helmet Initiative Trust, a registered charity that promotes safe cycling amongst youngsters.

Helmet Watch is designed to encourage cycling whilst always ensuring helmets are always worn. The scheme works by rewarding those youngsters who already wear a cycle helmet, encouraging those who do not and educating parents and carers on the benefits of wearing a helmet.

Children are more than three times more likely to be involved in a cycling accident than an adult and head injury is the biggest single cause of death and serious injury in cycling incidents. Properly worn, a cycle helmet has been shown to reduce the risk of brain injury by up to 85 per cent. Nationally less than 15% of children wear helmets - significantly fewer then adults. Peer pressure and image is a major factor.

Helmet Watch 2006 will start in the middle of August and run through till the end of November during which time thousands of lucky youngsters will receive a reward envelope.

Angela Lee, the Trust's founder and chief executive, said: "In previous years Helmet Watch has principally run during the school summer holidays. This year the initiative will start in the holidays but will also run through the new academic term to encourage children who are now cycling to and from school to wear helmets, many who will be doing these trips for the first time. By rewarding children it helps them to justify the use of their helmets and counters the negative pressure that they are faced with”.

Rupert Turner, Jet’s UK Manager, added “Jet is committed to protecting the health and safety of everybody who lives in the communities in which we operate, and so we are delighted to support Helmet Watch. We very much hope that through our support of The Bicycle Helmet Initiative Trust we can help to increase the percentage of young cyclists wearing helmets”.

This year every on-the-spot prize envelope will contain a key ring torch and whistle, information on how to fit a cycle helmet correctly and a prize draw card to fill in to try to win the first prize of a family Center Parcs holiday.

There will also be regional winners who will all receive a mountain bike and helmet and there will be lots of runners up prizes in each of the six regions that include the North West, the North East, the Midlands and Wales, East England, South-East and London and the South West.