Accidents happen, so it’s best to practice safety precautions when it comes to riding a bicycle. Bicycle helmet safety is just as important as wearing a seatbelt. Therefore, kids and adults should wear a properly fitted helmet every time they ride.
Helmets protect your head and brain from potentially serious damage. Liz Cochran, the Health System’s injury prevention coordinator in the emergency department, urges you to wear a helmet for your safety on a bike, skateboard or ATV. She explains, “Helmets and seatbelts can quite literally be the difference between life and death for someone. The injuries that a person can sustain in a crash are significantly more severe when they are not wearing a helmet or seatbelt.”
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration stresses:
- Cars should allow at least three feet of clearance
- Wear brightly-colored clothes to increase visibility when riding
Infographic text: Bicycle Helmet Safety Tips
Your child about to go for a ride with friends? Don’t forget their helmet and other tips to keep them safe.
- While Virginia does not require wearing helmets, they reduce the risk of a head injury by 50%
- The Right Fit
- Size
- Use a measuring tape to measure your child’s head. Start in the middle of the middle of the head and make sure it’s tight all the way around.
- Position
- Place helmet on child’s head. Make sure it’s two fingertips above the eyebrow.
- Side Straps
- Adjust the straps so that they form a “V” shape under and in front of the ears.
- Chin Strap
- Buckle the chin strap. Tighten the strap so that no more than two fingers fit under the chin.
- Size
- Helmet Safety Tips & Facts
- 101 bicycle-related deaths in 2017 were under the age of 20.
- Dress appropriately
- Always wear a properly fitting bike helmet.
- Check your bike
- Make sure your bike is safe to ride.
- Bicycle-related head injuries are the #1 reason for ER visits for kids 14 and under.
- 2% of motor vehicle crash deaths were cyclists
- Know the rules
- Follow the same rules as cars and other vehicles.
