Bike riding is a lot of fun, but accidents happen. Every year, about 300,00 children pay a visit to the emergency room because of bike injuries. These injuries vary in severity from sprains and broken bones, to serious head injuries. According to the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, wearing a bike helmet reduces the risk of serious head and brain injury by 85 percent. Wearing a helmet doesn’t give you a license for recklessness, but it will provide you some protection for your head and brain in case you fall down.
Helmet tips
- “Helmets are a necessity, not an accessory.” If you’re shopping for a bike helmet for your child, go pick it out as a family, and make sure it’s one they really like. If they like it, they are more likely to want to wear it.
- Your helmet should have a sticker that says it meets standards set by the Consumer Product Safety Commission.
- Your bike helmet should fit you properly. You don’t want it too small, or too big. Never wear a hat under your helmet.
- When you put the helmet on, you should have only two fingers between the eyebrows and the front brim of the helmet. You should be able to look up and see the front of the helmet.
- The straps of the helmet should make a ‘Y’, coming together just below the ears.
- When your helmet is buckled, you should be able to open and close your mouth comfortably.