YOUNG cyclists are being urged to wear helmets after a teenager suffered a serious head injury when he was hit by a car in Waurn Ponds yesterday.

Two friends watched on in horror as the 16-year-old Grovedale boy, who was not wearing a helmet, was struck by a red Mazda as he cycled across Princes Highway about 12.30pm.

Ambulance Victoria spokesman John Mullen said the boy was flown to The Alfred hospital in a critical condition.

Jacqui Pierce, of Karingal’s ARCsupport, is an advocate for acquired brain injury awareness, and said young people and even adults had an attitude problem about wearing helmets.

media_camera The scene of the accident near the Waurn Ponds Leisurelink Centre.

“It’s the old thing of ‘it’s not cool’,” she said. “But making a cool choice isn’t necessarily a smart choice, and a smart choice could prevent a lifetime of consequences.

“An ABI doesn’t shorten your life span, so you live with the effects of it ... and this could be such a devastating injury with lifetime consequences not just for this boy but for his family as well.”

Leading Senior Constable Gavin Duncan said the collision could have been a lot worse.

“This young fellow was lucky on this occasion,” he said.

“He wasn’t crossing at the lights, he’d tried to pick a gap in traffic and misjudged or didn’t see the vehicle. Cross at the lights, it’s the safest way to do things.”

Sen-Constable Duncan said the driver and passenger, from Bannockburn, were shaken.

“It was a case of wrong place and wrong time, and at no fault of their own this has occurred,” he said. “They couldn’t have been doing anything more right and no action is being considered against them.”

Traffic was diverted around parts of the Princes Highway at the intersection of Pioneer Rd after the accident.