Answers on a postcard please…

Southend On Sea Borough Council’s Road Safety Department recently ran a competition to encourage children to wear cycle helmets.

The competition was open to Year 5 children from across the Borough. They were each given a DFT It’s no joke cycle helmet postcard, and asked to give three reasons why they should wear a helmet. The best eight replies were presented with prizes on 12 July.

First prize was £100 of Halford vouchers donated by Royal Mail, who we involved because of their recent protocol and support of the wearing of cycle helmets. Other prizes included tickets for Southend United football matches during the coming season, cycle helmets and other cycle accessories.

The winning entry, by Lauren Freeman aged 10 years, reads as follows:

In crash helmets have some faith,
'Cos its better to be safe.
It's not important what you look like,
When you're riding on your pushbike.

Black, silver, blue or red,
Get a helmet on your head.
You need one to protect your brain,

If you don't, you are insane.
You'll find yourself in a hospital bed,
If you don't protect your head.

Lying there with stitches and bruises,
If you hit the road, it's your head that loses.
Some injuries caused will last forever,
Then you won't feel very clever.

Use your head, PLEASE wear a lid,
And you will stay a smarter kid.

For further information contact Kim Colledge, road safety advisor, kimcolledge@southend.gov.uk.