Children head back to school soon, and many will get there by two wheels. Over 70 percent of kids ages five to fourteen ride bicycles. Kids can find bikes ideal vehicles for both transportation and a developing sense of independence.
But bicycle riding can put children at risk from negligent drivers and other road dangers. Kids account for about one quarter of all bicycle-related deaths, which are generally due to head injury. Children are the patients in nearly half of all bicycle-related emergency room visits.
Unfortunately, the serious risk of head injuries including brain damage is not enough to prevent children from riding without bicycle helmets, which are the single most effective means of reducing trauma. Bicycle helmets can reduce the risk of head injury by 85 percent and traumatic brain injury by 88 percent. Neither is Oregon law, which provides that all children “under age 16 riding a bike or when a passenger on a bike in any public place (streets, roads, sidewalks, parks, etc.) must wear bicycle helmets labeled ANSI and/or Snell approved.”
Many kids are reluctant to wear helmets, and only about 25% of child bike riders under fourteen do so. Education and the examples of parents are essential to overcome this reluctance. Wearing your own properly-fitted helmet and other protective gear before you ride a bicycle, scooter, or motorcycle tells your child that safety is an important part of the activity. These tips from the Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute may also help:
- Establish the helmet habit early.
- Wear one yourself.
- Talk to your child about why you want them to protect their heads.
- Give your child a short course in bike safety.
- Point out when watching sports events how many professional athletes use helmets.
- Take your child to a bicycle race.
- Reward your kids for wearing helmets.
- Don’t let your child ride his or her bikes without wearing a helmet.
- Plan bicycle outings together when all family members wear their helmets.
Fortunately, there are a number of approved helmets out there. Fit one to your child, and be sure that he or she carries it out the door along with that new backpack, notebook, and protractor. Then make sure that the helmet gets on the head before the kid gets on the bike.
If your child has been injured in an auto accident while riding his or her bicycle, the Law Office of Portland personal injury attorney Dane E. Johnson welcomes your contact. There is absolutely no fee for a consultation to consider your potential case. Please use our contact form to tell us how we we can help or call us at (503) 975-8298.
Related Web Resources
Consumer Reports, Bike Helmets for Kids (2009).
Oregon Health & Science University, Bicycle/In-Line Skating/Skateboarding Safety – Prevention
Cincinatti Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Bicycle Helmet Fitting Instructions
Back to school tips: Bicycles, Salem Statesman Journal, Sept. 5, 2009.
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Bicycle Safety Kit
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