My Medical Record
The single most effective safety device to reduce head injury and death from bicycle crashes is a helmet! Wearing a properly fitting helmet can reduce the chances of serious head injuries by 85%. Teach your children to wear helmets and follow simple safety guidelines, and you can create safe habits that last a lifetime.
The best way to stay safe when biking or skateboarding is to always wear a helmet.
The best way to stay safe when biking or skateboarding is to always wear a helmet.
- Make sure the helmet fits and your child knows how to put it on correctly.
- A helmet should sit level on the top of the head with the rim one to two finger-widths above the eyebrows, and should not rock forward and backward or side-to-side. The straps of the helmet should form a “V” under the ears and must always be buckled snugly.
- Remember, bike helmets are for biking. Kids should not wear their helmets on the playground, where straps can get caught on equipment and cause injury, or for activities that require specialized helmets, such as skiing and football.
- Make sure the bike is the right size for your child, and in good repair.
- Also check your child’s bike to be sure it’s in good working order. Check to be sure reflectors are secure, brakes work properly, gears shift smoothly, and tires are tightly secured and properly inflated.
- Model and teach proper bicyclist behavior. Ride on the right side of the road, with traffic, not against it. Stay as far to the right as possible. Use appropriate hand signals and respect traffic signals, stopping at all stop signs and stop lights.