More than 900 Western Bay of Plenty students and teachers put their noggins to good use to promote the safe cycling message.

The winners of the Travel Safe 'Design Your Own Helmet' competition were presented with helmets featuring their winning designs during a special ceremony held at the Tauranga City Council today.

The Travel Safe 'Design Your Own Helmet' competition winners Tayla Hopkins, 11, Mia Olsen, 8, Michelle Burggraaf, Chelsea Dykzeul, 10, and Kodie Savill. Photo: Tracy Hardy.

The winners were Greenpark School's Kodie Savill, Omanu School's Mia Olsen, Bethlehem College's Chelsea Dykzeul, and Mount Maunganui Intermediate's Tayla Hopkins.

While Omanu School teacher Michelle Burggraaf took out the new ‘teacher category' which was introduced this year.

Aesthetically speaking, intermediate category winner Taylor Hopkins says her watermelon inspired helmet will compliment her blue bike rather well.

'I love watermelon, they're one of my favourite fruits and they're really yum to eat,” she says.

'I thought it would look cool cause I've always wanted to get all the red bits out of a watermelon and then shove it on my head like a helmet.”

While it's something she's not done in the past, Taylor's got a ‘never say never' attitude.

'I'll probably do it one day, but my new helmet would probably look cooler,” she says.

Mount Maunganui Intermediate student Tayla Hopkins, 11.

In total 917 entries were submitted by Western Bay students, aged 5-12, and were judged by a panel of Tauranga City Council staff who were shown the designs but had no idea of the students' name or the schools they attended.

Presenting the winners with their helmets today was Tauranga deputy major Kelvin Clout who was super impressed with the quality and creativity of the designs.

'They were very vibrant, quite inspiring and typical of what children are interested in. There were dinosaurs, a watermelon, lots of flowers, it was very lovely to see,” he says.

'The competition has run for more than five years and in 2015 we received about 700 entries so the numbers this year have gone up quite significantly.”

One of the key focusses of the design competition was to highlight the importance of wearing cycle helmets in a fun and creative way.

Kelvin says it was also a great way to stimulate conversations around cycle safety with the students at home and in the classrooms.

'It's particularly relevant now in Tauranga as we increase our urban cycleways which provide a safer means for children to cycle to and from school and home, while also taking cars off the road which is one of the objectives of it too,” says Kelvin.

The helmets featuring the winning design were professionally airbrushed by local artist Anthony Brodie.

But the winners weren't able to take their helmets home today as they'll be re-presented during special ceremonies to be held at each of the winners' schools at a later date.

Kodie Savill, 6, from Greenpark School receiving his helmet from deputy mayor Kelvin Clout.

Mil Olsen, 8, from Omanu School receiving her helmet.

Chelsea Dykzeul, 10, from Bethlehem College.

Kodie Savill's artwork.

Travel Safe coordinators Angela Joyes and Cindi Feder (far left and right) and Tauranga deputy mayor Kelvin Clout (centre) with the 'Design Your Own Helmet' competition winners.