Bicycles & Helmets

It is finally warm out and, like many of you, we are spending more time outdoors. The kids have been on their scooters/bikes, and we’ve been enjoying sunshine, peace, and coffee (and sometimes wine). 

This morning, as I was sitting here on the deck musing about a topic for my next post, 2-year-old Munchkin zoomed past me on his bike and attempted to ride it down our deck stairs. I saw it happening almost in slow motion as I leapt up and scrambled, shoeless, to pick him up off the concrete and check his sweet little body. Aside from a few bruises and being scared, he was okay. And I was so, so, so thankful that even when our children are riding their bikes in the house or in our yard, we still insist that they wear their helmets. 

Learning to ride a bike is an important milestone and staying active is obviously something pediatricians encourage. But a recent study from the University of Michigan found that nearly 1 in 5 parents admit to not enforcing helmet-wearing when their children are on their bikes. Separately, young children understand and remember simple rules. Making exceptions (“its just a short ride to the neighbors”) does not reinforce the importance of their helmets.

Many thousands of ER visits every year are a result of bike accidents, and according to the CDC, children and adolescents account for more than one third of all of those injuries. As you are probably aware, children actually learn best by observation; Make sure you, as the parent, are a good role model… wear your helmet too!

Not only should you wear a helmet — you should wear the correct helmet. For your child, purchase a pediatric helmet specifically designed for biking, and sized appropriately for your child. When deciding on which helmet to purchase, look for a label that indicates the helmet meets the CPSC (Consumer Product Safety Commission) safety standard. There are numerous resources (such as the video below) on how to ensure a proper fit, and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) website also has a great primer.

Other bike-riding rules: 

• Your child should be on a correctly-sized bicycle.

• Wearing bright clothing is still a good idea if you are riding on the street, to ensure your child is visible to traffic. Young children should ideally avoid riding their bike at night, regardless of whether or not they wear fancy reflectors or a vest.

• If your older child is riding on the street, they should ride on the right side, with traffic, and should be taught hand signals and the rules of the road. Children under the age of 10 years are unable to consistently learn the rules of the road and should not ride unsupervised in the street. 

• After a crash, a helmet should ideally be replaced; there may be invisible damage to the structural integrity that makes the helmet less protective.