Children who think wearing helmets while riding their pedal bikes is uncool should look to top local cyclists like Elliot Hubbard, Kris Hedges, and Jonathon Herring - who always wear helmets, a prominent local doctor said.

Paediatrician Dr. Bente Lundh, speaking in the wake of the tragic death of eight year old Lavaj Thompson last week, said: "The first thing to remember is that from a public health standpoint, accidents are preventable diseases".

Lavaj died as a result of injuries incurred when he was in collision with a truck, sparking calls for children to be made to wear helmets while riding their bicycles.

Road Safety Council chairman Dr. Joseph Froncioni said head injuries are among the top two causes of death for children under 14, and are the leading cause of permanent disability.

And Dr. Lundh, who is Acting Chief of Paediatrics at King Edward Memorial VII Hospital, added: "Bicyclists hospitalised with head injuries are 20 times more likely to die than those without . . . (and) non-helmeted riders are 14 times more likely to be involved in a fatal crash than riders wearing a helmet."

"We don't get many (children with severe head injuries) per year," said Dr. Froncioni. However, as current Chief of Staff at KEMH Dr. June Hill noted, even "one child is one too many."

Dr. Froncioni agreed that head injuries are "very preventable."

A helmet can reduce the risk of head injury by 85 percent, and the risk of brain damage by 88 percent, he said.

"People believe that you have to be out on a major road to get into trouble - this is not the case," said Dr. Hill. In fact, the typical bicycle or motor vehicle crash occurs within one mile of the cyclist's home, Dr. Lundh said.

"Even when they are on their own driveway . . . just driving up and down the street - that's not a good enough excuse (not to wear a helmet)," she said. "It's definitely the parents' responsibility. We need to stand up and protect our children. One thing I think we need to do in Bermuda is have a really good education campaign."

Dr. Froncioni said: "If people were more informed (of the dangers), they might be more inclined to use common sense and enforce their own helmet rules."

For example, the doctors observed, the wrong message is sent when an adult forces a child to wear a helmet - yet does not do so themselves.

"Adults need to remember that they are role models for children," noted Dr. Lundh.

"Physicians, parents, community leaders, other Government agencies . . . this is a public health issue," Dr. Lundh said. "We all take risks . . . but there's a difference between smart risk and stupid risk. Don't cross that so-called 'stupid line'."

Triathlete Jonathon Herring agreed that not wearing a helmet is "a stupid decision".

"I've ridden bikes all my life," said the 18-year-old, who has just returned from the World Triathlon Championships in Edmonton, Canada, "and I'd never ride without one.

"The fact that I've seen even top cyclists in the world have accidents and lose their lives due to not wearing helmets - it's a stupid decision.

"I hold helmets that have the dents and scars of accidents that could've been my head," he finished.

Whether or not a helmet would have made a difference in the case of young Lavaj Thompson, who died last week after a collision with a truck, was difficult to answer.

Even when great care is taken, Dr. Lundh said "accidents can happen to anyone - terrible things happen".

"Bringing in the truck makes it a whole different story," added Dr. Froncioni.

This highlights another issue - that of road safety in general. "The summer months are known as 'trauma season' in the US," noted Dr. Lundh.

This, she explained, is because of the greater freedom children have from not being in school. "Summer, I would tell you, is always the worst (for all accidents involving children)," agreed Dr. Hill.

"Many children under ten do not have the cognitive skills to make judgments about safety," said Dr. Lundh.

However, "If any good at all can come of such a tragedy (as the death of Lavaj) . . . perhaps it will make people pay attention," said Dr. Hill.

Dr. Lundh agreed.

"It's difficult to imagine that there is a silver lining," she said, before telling The Royal Gazette about a person she spoke with today "who didn't have a helmet until this little boy died".