Bike & Helmet Safety
Bike helmets save lives and this is supported by numerous research studies and organizations. Yet, is estimated that 15-25% of those of ages of 5-14 wear helmets. Educating children, parents, caregivers and the public is a priority in increasing the safety of our children. Helmets will not be worn unless children are taught at an early age that a helmet is part of being safe on a bike. It is not enough just to put a helmet on, it must be fitted properly. The pictures of Ian’s helmet post accident tells the story. It never came off his head even while being drug 70 feet. If it he had not had a helmet on or it had not been on properly, the outcome would have been tragic. Do your own survey in your neighborhood and/or community. Take notice of the number of children not wearing helmets or wearing them incorrectly. In many instances, these children will be with adults without helmets also. A child may be involved in a bike accident due to various reasons, a crack in a sidewalk, swerving suddenly, etc. Head injuries can occur from a fall of a minimal distance and certainly doesn’t have to involve a motor vehicle.
It is estimated that 70% of children ride bikes. There is more than balance and coordination to learning to ride a bike. Children’s research defines stages of growth and development based on age but each child develops at their own rate. When determining when a child is ready to ride without training wheels coordination and balance needs to be considered. Just because one 5 year old can master without training wheels doesn’t mean all 5 year olds are ready. Coordination and balance may be adequate but they cannot handle speed and cognitively have not developed safety awareness and problem solving skills. According to the Bike Helmet Safety Institute: ages 4-5 are not ready for the risk of riding in areas of cars, are high risk for falling and injury, and need adult supervision, ages 6-8 have SOME understanding of the consequences of riding in areas shared by cars and pedestrians. They can operate safely only at slow speeds, ages 9-12, very capable bike riders. They are USUALLY fairly aware of traffic laws but are very likely to engage in high risk behavior such as riding in traffic or stunt riding.
How to fit a helmet:
View the “How to Fit a Helmet” page
Download the “How to Fit a Helmet” PDF
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Teaching your child to ride a bike:
View the “Teaching Your Child How to Ride a Bike” page
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How a young person sees traffic:
Teaching your child to be a safer biker and pedestrian
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