| Do you wear a helmet when you ride your bike? Do your friends? We say when it comes to wearing helmets, just use your head!
The top four reasons kids say they don't wear a bike helmet and the reason everyone should.
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Myth 1:
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Helmets aren't cool.
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Fact:
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Helmets are designed to help prevent injuries to your skull and your brain. A serious fall or crash can cause permanent brain damage or death. PERMANENT BRAIN DAMAGE OR DEATH???!!! That's definitely not cool.
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Myth 2:
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Helmets just aren't comfortable.
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Fact:
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Helmets today are lightweight and well ventilated. They're actually a lot more comfortable than they have ever been. Just make sure to look for a standards sticker inside the helmet. Standards have been taken care of by a Government regulation requiring all helmets to meet the Consumer Product Safety Commission standard after 1999. In short, look for a CPSC, ASTM or Snell B-95 sticker.
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Fit is not tested by the standards, so you must try the helmet on your own head. Visors are not
tested for snagging, and they can shatter in a fall, cutting your face. If you use any add-on
accessories you should examine them carefully and consider what they might do to you in a
crash.
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Myth 3:
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I have never worn a helmet and nothing has happened to me so far.
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Fact:
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Bike crashes or collisions can happen at any time. Even professional bike racers get in serious collisions. More importantly, studies show that in three out of every four bike crashes, bikers get some sort of injury to the head.
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Myth 4:
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I just don't want everybody to see me wearing a helmet.
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Fact:
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Wait! That's just the point! Helmets make it easier for motorists, pedestrians, and other bikers to see you. If everyone can see you, they won't run into you.
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SAFETY CITY FEEDBACK.
Have you had a bike crash? Were you wearing a helmet? Tell us what happened to you and why you think people should wear bike helmets.
Important Safety Tip:
Wear a helmet: Helmets can prevent head injuries-the main cause of death and disability. They make it easier for motorists to see you and avoid you!
A helmet is as much a part of the bicycle as the handlebars and tires. You don't want to ride without it!
As you can see, helmets really are important. At our next station, we’ll find out about City Biking in traffic and on main roads. Do you know whether bikers are supposed to ride with the traffic or against the traffic? Hmmm. let’s find out at STATION #3!
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