Bicycle Helmet Safety for Kids

Wearing a safety helmet is very important for young children. If they have older siblings or live in a neighborhood with other children whom they see wearing bicycle helmets, it's usually fairly easy to get them to put on their helmets when they ride their bicycles. They want to do what the "big" kids are doing. However, it's another thing to have your older kids keep their helmets on if they don't think it's the "cool" thing to do.

Function

A bicycle helmet protects the head of the wearer in case of an accident or fall. Bicycle racers have been wearing helmets for decades, and so have mountain bikers. Recreational bikers and younger children wearing helmets is a more recent development. It is not a legal requirement to wear a helmet when cycling, but young riders who fall need to be protected. Most bicycle helmets have a hard plastic shell and one or two layers of padding underneath. When properly fitted and strapped on, they protect wearers from serious and possibly catastrophic injuries.

Considerations

No matter how well the child's bicycle safety helmet fits, it won't do the child any good unless it is attached properly. The helmet will have one or two straps that will allow the helmet to fit snugly and protect the head and skull. However, if the parent does not drill their youngster into snapping on the helmet with the safety strap, it will not do much good. Even if you help him put it on, your child may unstrap it when he gets down the block to his friend's house.

Geography

Helmets can help in any situation, but they are most necessary when young people are riding in an area with a lot of hills and valleys. As kids ride their bikes, they challenge each other and do tricks. When a child is trying to do a trick while going fast down a hill, as kids will do, there is a tendency to fall. With a helmet, injuries such as cuts and bruises will still result, but the head and skull will be protected.

Size

It's one thing for a kid to wear a helmet while riding her bicycle, but it's quite another for it to fit adequately. Parents may not want to spend the extra money for a new helmet when an older brother or sister may have outgrown theirs, but hand-me-down helmets are not a great idea. You want an outstanding fit for maximum protection. It's a great idea to check the fit every three months or so, because kids grow so quickly. This may be a bit bothersome, but there is no way around it.

Potential

There are hundreds of stories about how important helmets are to young bicycle riders. The difference between wearing a helmet and not wearing a helmet is often the difference between a bad injury, and a scrape or bruise. Riders who fall while wearing helmets may have cuts on their hands, legs and elsewhere, but riders who fall without helmets end up in hospital emergency rooms with concussions and worse. Education in the home and the school about the importance of wearing helmets can help your child stay safe and healthy.