Children call for a change in the law

21st July 2005

Four million primary school children* are putting their lives at risk every year because they think it is ‘uncool’ to wear a cycling helmet. The findings come from the largest ever survey of school children on cycling safety carried out by Jet petrol stations as part of their Safe & Smile campaign.

* 62% of primary school aged children said they don’t wear a cycling helmet

other key findings

More than three quarters (77%) of the children questioned said they would always wear a cycling helmet if a change in the law made it compulsory.

The research, which involved more than 8000 children, revealed that peer pressure to be cool was the main reason not to wear a helmet for 70% of the children questioned. Other reasons included discomfort and expense. Worryingly, more than a quarter of children said they don’t even own a helmet.

More than a third of the schools questioned said they encourage children to cycle to school and do everything they can to persuade pupils to wear a helmet. However, despite warnings from schools, children are continuing to cycle without wearing a helmet and this is a growing cause for concern.

The latest figures show that approximately 100,000 children are injured in cycling accidents each year and over 1300 under 16 year olds are seriously injured or killed in cycling accidents. Two thirds of the children questioned in Jet’s study said they’d had an accident on their bike, and of those, almost two thirds (65%) said they weren’t wearing a cycling helmet at the time.

Fuel company Jet has launched a campaign designed to reverse the trend and mount peer pressure to wear a cycling helmet. As part of its annual road safety initiative, Safe & Smile, children across the UK have designed posters encouraging their classmates to wear a cycling helmet. The winning entry by 10-year-old Alessandro Suitters from Hertfordshire will be displayed at Jet service stations across the UK during the school summer holidays.

Roy Roley, campaign manager for Jet Safe & Smile, said:

“We are really concerned that children are putting their image before their own safety by choosing not to wear a cycling helmet. Young cyclists are among the most vulnerable road users and it is our responsibility as parents to ensure that they are properly protected and that means wearing a helmet.

“Without the weight of legislation people often don’t choose to take the safest option – we have seen it before with wearing seatbelts, motor cycle crash helmets and more recently, using a mobile phone while driving. Hopefully the Government will listen to the voices of almost 5 million children and decide that wearing a cycling helmet should be a legal requirement.”

Issued on behalf of Jet by Citigate SMARTS. For further information contact Joanna Buckle or Rebecca Cowley at Citigate SMARTS on 0121 456 3199 or email joanna.buckle@citigatec.co.uk / rebecca.cowley@citigatesmarts.co.uk

Notes to editors:
ConocoPhillips Limited is the UK refining and marketing subsidiary of ConocoPhillips, a major, integrated energy company active in more than 40 countries. In the UK ConocoPhillips markets fuels under the Jet brand name through a network of distributors and some 600 service stations. Play Jet Street by visiting www.jetstreet.co.uk