Today, Cincinnati joins several area cities, along with 20 states and more than 125 communities nationwide, in taking a small but important step to protect children's safety. The city's new helmet law goes into effect, requiring children ages 15 and under to wear helmets when riding bicycles, scooters and skateboards. A first offense brings a warning; a second triggers safety training for kids and parents; a third means a court appearance with a fine of up to $100.

But the true measure of the law's success will be if it doesn't have to be prosecuted. In Blue Ash, no formal warnings or citations have yet been issued since its law went into effect in October. Glendale, Madeira and Waynesville have similar laws.

Unfortunately, such laws become necessary when adults neglect to take this simple, obvious step that saves kids' lives. Often, helmet laws work as a reminder, boosting voluntary helmet use without putting undue burdens on families. When New Jersey passed a state law in 1992, usage among kids quickly jumped from 10 percent to 69 percent. That translates directly into lives saved.

Nationally, about 250 kids a year die in bicycle mishaps, and thousands receive serious head injuries that often lead to permanent disabilities. Locally, about 90 percent of kids brought to Children's Hospital after bike mishaps have head injuries. Jennifer Ringel, a pediatrician instrumental in the passage of Blue Ash's ordinance last fall, argued that helmet use could prevent 75 percent of bike fatalities and 86 percent of head injuries.

Helmets can be costly, but affording them shouldn't be an issue in most cases. Children's and other area organizations support programs that supply helmets for a nominal fee or even free. Civic groups such as the Kiwanis accept donated helmets for those who cannot afford them, and Cincinnati Police Officer Kathy Horn has been collecting helmets for kids who need them; call her at (513) 979-4418. Cheviot, which also has a law going into effect today, will sell helmets for $10 from 9:30-11:30 a.m. at the Cheviot Municipal Building.

Requiring helmet use is a common-sense measure that can prevent needless costs to society and heartache to families. More communities should follow suit.