Kids Speak Out On Bike Helmets
Consumer Product Safety Commission
Kids Speak Out On Bike Helmets
CPSC Document #345
PRODUCED BY THE AMERICAN AUTOMOBILE ASSOCIATION
IN COOPERATION WITH THE
U.S. CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION
Kids all across the country have opinions about bike
helmets. Some kids wear them. Others don't. And many kids have
ideas on how to get others to wear bike helmets more often.
We asked 282 kids, ages 8 to 13, from schools in
Pennsylvania, Florida, Oklahoma, Ohio, New Mexico, New York,
Nebraska, and Washington, just what they thought about bike
helmets.
Look what they had to say!
WHAT COULD HAPPEN IF YOU HAD A BIKE CRASH AND WEREN'T WEARING A
HELMET?
- "You could be paralyzed, killed, or you could suffer
damage."
- "You could bust your head open on the sidewalk or a rock."
- "You could go into a coma."
- "You could break your neck or crack your head.
- "You could have serious brain damage and you might have to
learn all you know over again."
FACTS
You may think you're a pretty good biker, but crashes happen
all the time to very good riders. In fact:
- Wearing a bike helmet is the single most important thing you
can do to protect your brain - and your like - when you ride
your bike.
- Children between ages 5 and 14 have the highest rate of
injury of all bicycle riders.
- Each year, more than 500,000 children go to hospital
emergency rooms or doctors' offices due to bicycle injuries.
- More than half of these collisions happen on neighborhood
streets, sidewalks, or playgrounds.
WHY DO YOU WEAR A BIKE HELMETS?
- "I wear a helmet because I had an accident and I was wearing
a helmet and my head felt fine."
- "Because it looks cool and it keeps my head safe."
- "Because I don't want to hurt my head like my cousin (who
almost died in a bike accident)."
- "I wear my helmet most of the time because there is law
about helmets."
- "I wear my helmet all the time because 1) my parents make me
and 2) I don't want to get any head injuries."
- "You should always wear them because they keep you and your
brain safe."
FACTS
Nationally, only about 15 percent of all kids wear bike
helmets. In this AAA survey of school children, here's how often
kids wore bike helmets:
Always or most of the time .................... 43%
Occasionally ........................................ 11%
Seldom or never .................................. 44%
No answer ........................................... 2%
Helmet usage of the surveyed kids is better than the
national average. Even so, more than half of the children
surveyed don't wear bike helmets most of the time. This means
lots of these kids could be injured riding bikes.
WHAT WOULD GET YOUR BEST FRIEND TO WEAR A BIKE HELMET MORE OFTEN?
- "You could make a commercial with a famous person wearing a
helmet and kids could use them as role modes."
- "Put baseball, football and race driver numbers and names on
helmets.
- "Show pros wearing helmets and being cool."
- "Put extra padding inside of it to make it more
comfortable."
- "Put little compartments on the helmets"
- "Make helmets for girls with ponytails."
- "You could have a bike-a-thon to encourage kids to wear
helmets."
- "If you wear one, you get a free pizza.
- "Tell them it's the law and if they don't they will have to
eat spinach."
- "Have kids who wouldn't wear helmets and got in serious
collisions go and talk to other kids who won't wear
helmets."
- "Tell them to watch the hazards on the news of kids who
don't wear a helmet."
WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP SAVE LIVES?
- Always wear your bike helmet - and make sure your brothers
and sisters do, too.
- Make a deal with your best friend to always wear your
helmets when you ride together.
- Talk to your parents or teachers to help organize projects
with your school, safety patrol, Scout troop, religious
organization, or other group that will encourage kids to
wear bike helmets.
- Ask local businesses to sell bikes only with bike helmets or
set up bike-helmet giveaway or discount-coupon programs.
Ten tips for safe bike riding:
1. Always wear a bike helmet.
2. Stop and check traffic before riding into a street.
3. Don't ride at night.
4. Obey traffic signs and signals.
5. Ride on the right-hand side of the street.
6. Check your brakes before riding.
7. Give cars and pedestrians the right-of-way.
8. Wear light or bright-colored clothing so that motorists can
see you.
9. Be extra careful turning left - motorists don't expect it.
10. Avoid broken pavement, loose gravel and leaves - which can
cause you to lose control of your bike.
SPECIAL THANKS
To all the kids who completed the bike helmet surveys at
Oakhurst Elementary School in Largo, FL; St Anne's in
Seattle, WA; Fillmore Elementary School in Oklahoma City,
OK; Holy Trinity in Ligonier, PA; Monessen Elementary Center
in Monessen, PA; Smith Elementary School in Akron, OH; North
Elementary School in Lancaster, OH; Holy Name School in
Omaha, NE; Collet Part Elementary School in Albuquerque, NM;
and Signal Hill Elementary School in Huntington, NY.
To the following AAA Clubs: Akron Auto Club, Fairfield
County Auto Club, Auto Club of New York, Auto Club South,
AAA Washington, AAA Nebraska, AAA New Mexico, AAA Oklahoma,
and AAA West Penn/West Virginia.
For more information:
Contact your AAA Club Traffic Safety Office for information
and availability of additional bicycle and other traffic safety
materials.
Call the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission's toll-free
hotline at 1-800-638-CPSC for information about bicycles and
other consumer products.