Claflin Court in Franklin Square is like many other suburban streets on Long Island. Children come home from school and enjoy the afternoon air by breaking out their scooters, a combination bicycle and skate board.

After the fad of the scooter found its way into Long Island homes in recent years, it became apparent that lawmakers had to protect the safety of the children with a law.

Now, in effect is the helmet law for scooters, an extension of the bicycle safety law, which makes it mandatory for those under 14 to wear a helmet when rising a bicycle, tricycle, skateboards and in-line skates. Now, with the scooter law, children will have to wear helmets when riding the sleek scooters.

Among those who pushed for the law was New York State Assemblyman Tom Alfano, a member of the Assembly Codes Committee who voted to move the measure to the floor of the Assembly for passage and signature into law by the covernor.

The assemblyman emphasized how important safety helmets are to children and how wearing a helmet while riding a scooter in neighborhoods can prevent injuries. "Scooters are similar to bicycles. They move at high speeds and, as a result, there exists the potential for neurological injuries. This is a step to prevent serious head injuries and the proof will be in the statistics," Alfano said.

Statistics have already shown that children on scooters have been in danger. According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, 9,400 accidents involving scooters occurred in the United States last year, with roughly one third resulting in injuries to the head or face of the rider.

Franklin Square resident and member of the John Street School PTA Mary Ellen Scanlon has children who regularly ride scooters and is pleased the law is now in effect because it gives parents something to stand behind when telling children to wear their helmets. "It's very important for the safety of our children as we do anything we can to encourage parents to keep their children safe," she said.

"The safety of our children is our number one priority. By enforcing the wearing of a bicycle helmet while riding a scooter, future accidents will be prevented. The future of our children depends on our actions, and I am certain this bill will protect our children and bring about safer communities," Alfano said.

Parents or legal guardians of youths caught on scooters without a proper helmet will be issued a warning for the first offense, then there will be a fine of up to $50 for each following offense. Judges will be able to waive fines in cases where economic hardship exists, or if an offender is able to show that a helmet has been purchased in the time between the offense and the court date.

In an effort to make helmets more affordable, Alfano is co-sponsoring a bill that would exempt protective helmets from sales tax in New York. For more information on the new helmet law, the Assemblyman's district office can be reached at 437-5577.