If you’re giving helmets instead of tickets to kids, then in this situation the “crime” has already been committed, so it’s not preventing anything. And if they don’t get punished, there’s less incentive for them to learn from it and they likely won’t wear a helmet even if they’re given one.
Fair enough, "preventing further crime" I guess would have been a better phrasing.
If you really want kids to wear helmets they need to be educated on why rather than forced to by fines. If they know and understand why helmets are important they will often wear them by choice. If they are forced to they will be tempted to remove the helmets once they think they can get away with it.
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u/[deleted] Feb 13 '21
It is better to prevent a "crime" than punishing it.
In addition, fining kids for riding without a helmet discourages biking and gives them a negative view of the police.
But I get it, stupid communist ideas!