Charlottetown bike helmet watch rewarding

Charlottetown police have been passing out more rewards than penalties as they try to get more cyclists to wear helmets in the city.

As part of a program called Operation Headway, police all over P.E.I. have been asked to hand out coupons and prizes to cyclists with helmets and issue tickets to those without.

In Charlottetown, Deputy Chief Richard Collins told CBC News officers have handed out more than 100 rewards, including coupons for free coffee, and only 32 tickets.

Before Operation Headway, police across the island had only issued three tickets since the province introduced its mandatory helmet law in 2003.

Police say adults, not children, have been the biggest offenders.

The tickets carry a $70 fine, but cyclists can avoid having to pay the fine if they take a safety course in the fall.