Operation Chill Rewards Brick Kids For Being Safe

BRICK, NJ — Brick Township police are handing out tickets to kids in the township ... for doing good.

The "tickets" are coupons for free Slurpees at 7-Eleven through Operation Chill, a national program that allows police officers to reward and encourage good behavior, including wearing helmets when riding bicycles.

"So, follow the rules on your bicycles, wear those helmets, use those hand signals," Brick police said in a post on the department's Facebook page. "Play nice with the other kids, share, help one another out when they need it. Treat others the way you would want them to treat you, and you might find that you're the one getting the treat!"

Police departments work to encourage children to wear helmets when riding bicycles, skateboarding and roller skating, which are required for anyone younger than 17 by state law.

A 2013 study found that helmets reduced serious head injuries in bicycle accidents, cutting the risk of severe traumatic brain injury by 52 percent and the risk of death by 44 percent, according to a Reuters report.

Riders with helmets also had 31 percent lower odds of facial fractures, the report said, quoting the study.

In the U.S., there were 900 deaths and an estimated 494,000 emergency room visits due to bicycle-related injuries in 2013, the Reuters report said, quoting the study, which analyzed records of 6,267 people treated in 2012 for bleeding inside the skull after a bicycle accident.

One quarter of patients had been wearing a bicycle helmet at the time of their accident. Just over half of the patients had severe traumatic brain injuries and 3 percent died.

Have a news tip? Email karen.wall@patch.com Follow Brick Patch on Facebook.