E- Scooter company promoting helmet safety in Oshawa during Golden Helmet Challenge

One of two companies licensed to provide e-scooters in Oshawa will launch Helmet Awareness Week September 21-29 with a ‘Golden Helmet’ on select scooters and a chance for the riders to win prizes.

Neuron Mobility, in partnership with the Traffic Injury Research Foundation (TIRF), is campaigning on the importance of wearing a helmet while riding e-scooters.

As part of Helmet Safety Awareness Week, Neuron is committing up to $100,000 globally for rider education and incentives to reinforce the importance of helmets. Helmet use is strongly advised when riding an e-scooter and in some cases, a legal requirement in cities across Canada.

They are the single most important piece of safety equipment to prevent serious injury in the unlikely event of an accident, noted Neuron Canada general manager Ankush Karwal.

“Although 99.99 per cent of all Neuron trips end safely and without incident, helmets are one of the simplest and most effective ways to prevent serious injury in the unlikely event of an accident. Everyone should wear a helmet to protect themselves, and we want people to continue to wear them long after the campaign ends.”

The company’s most frequent rider in Oshawa has travelled 1,690 kilometres without incident since the service launched in April 2023, Karwal added.

For the duration of the week, Neuron has equipped an e-scooter in the city with a golden helmet for the ‘Golden Helmet Challenge’ and those who take a ride on it will win a free trip. Riders can use the e-scooter’s app-controlled helmet lock to release the helmet at the start of the trip. For an extra bonus, they can also take an in-app ‘helmet selfie’ to earn credits for future rides.

Neuron, known for the bright orange scooters, and Bird Transport provide the scooters in Oshawa as part of a two-year pilot program that expires November 27.

Neuron’s Safety Ambassadors will be out in greater numbers at e-scooter hotspots during the week to remind users of the riding rules. The company will also be promoting helmet use and safe riding through a series of light-hearted videos on social media and riders will be directed to their online ScootSafe Academy for incentivized quizzes, videos and games.

“Each time you wear a helmet, you’re not only protecting yourself but also actively promoting a safe and socially responsible road community,” added TIRF CEO Robyn Robertson. “This week is an ideal opportunity to remind all riders to always prioritize safety by wearing a helmet on every trip.”

There has been one tragedy since the program launched, with 20-year-old Kaitlyn Pollack struck and killed by a truck in north Oshawa in May 2023 while riding one of the Bird e-scooters. The driver was subsequently charged with a Highway Traffic Act offence.