BrainTrust Canada’s annual Helmet Safety Program continues through the Okanagan in various communities to reduce preventable brain injuries for youth. The program has taken place in collaboration with the City of Kelowna for many years.
BrainTrust is also working with the City of Vernon, the District of Lake Country and the District of Peachland.
From spring to fall, community policing officers and bylaws interact with youth on the importance of helmets, and they use their discretion to provide helmets to youth that require them. The helmets are a popular brand called Nutcase and include the motto “I Love My Brain”.
The officers also hand out “positive tickets” to youth that say they were “caught” doing something positive such as wearing a helmet or walking their bike across the road, and reward them with a treat from one of the various sponsors including McDonald’s, Domino’s and Petro Canada.
A brain injury occurs every three minutes in Canada, and approximately 20% of these brain injuries are sports related. However, up to 85% of brain injuries can be prevented from helmet use.