Bicycle helmet safety program Operation Headway returns on P.E.I.

The chances of getting caught for not wearing a bike helmet on P.E.I. this summer have increased, thanks to the return of Operation Headway.

After a year's absence, the combined education and enforcement program has been re-launched by Cycling PEI and other partners.

The group will work with police, offering bike riders caught without helmets a choice: either they can pay a fine up to $500, or attend an intense education session on the importance of helmet safety.

Cycling PEI will also do visual surveys to gather data this summer to help with future campaigns.

"It would be placing people in strategic locations to get a full picture of who's wearing helmets, who's not wearing helmets, age, gender and locations of where it is so that we can have some actual data to go with the program," explained Mike Connolly, Cycling PEI's executive director.

"Hopefully we can tap into that, and get them educated so that they do wear some helmets."

There is a ticket for that, too.

When they see riders who are wearing helmets, they'll give them coupons for ice cream.

Without a partner leading the program, it was dropped last year, causing immediate repercussions.

Charlottetown police issued just seven tickets, compared to 100 when the program was running.

• SEE ALSO|Bike helmet law promoted by Cycling PEI
• SEE ALSO|Charlottetown police didn't prioritize bike helmet laws this summer