Bell Sports Tells President Bush: ``Next Time Wear a Helmet!''.

News Editors/Business Editors

SANTA CRUZ, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 13, 2003

Sometimes even world leaders need a reminder to use their head. Shocked to see in today's news that President Bush would ride a scooter without a helmet, Bell(R) Sports is sending the President and his family helmets they can use for biking, skating, blading and riding scooters.

Bell is relieved that the President was not injured when he fell off a Segway scooter earlier today. But the company is not surprised with the President's actions. Only 18% of U.S. adults wear bike helmets, according to a survey Bell recently commissioned with Greenfield Research. And even fewer adults wear helmets in non-biking activities, as discovered in observational surveys conducted by Bell last year.

By contrast, 69% of children ages 16 and under regularly wear a bike helmet, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). As bike helmet use has increased among children, bike-related head injuries for kids under 15 dropped by 20% from 1991 to 2001, reported by the CPSC.

Bicycle helmets have been proven effective at reducing the risk of brain injury by up to 88 percent, according to the Harbor View Medical Center.

Bell Sports, the market leader in helmets and accessories for cycling and other active sports, developed the first protective cycling helmet in 1975 and now encourages the first family and all other active American to wear protective helmets.

"Far too many children and adults suffer preventable head and brain injuries each year by not wearing helmets -- and it's not just a biking issue. There's been incredible growth in non-biking activities, such as skating, snowboarding and scootering, where helmet use can mean the difference between enjoying the sport and never riding again," said Bill Fry, president and CEO of Bell Sports. "We're happy to do our part in helping President Bush be a positive role model for kids and adults across the country."

The leading U.S. health and safety organizations all support the use of helmets cycling, skating and scootering to reduce the risk of head and brain injury. They include the American Medical Association (AMA), the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, the American Association of Pediatrics and the Brain Injury Association of America, among many others.

About Bell Sports

Bell Sports is the world's leading designer and marketer of helmets and accessories for bicycling and other active sports. The company markets helmets and accessories under the Bell, Giro(R), Blackburn(R), VistaLite(TM), CoPilot(TM), X Games, Barbie(R), Hot Wheels(R) and Fisher Price(TM) brands. Headquartered in Irving, Texas, the company has operations in Santa Cruz, Calif.; Rantoul, Ill.; York, Penn.; Hong Kong; and Limerick, Ireland. Bell Sports distributes its products in 45 countries. More information is available at www.bellsports.com.