Volume 5, Issue 2 March 2014

Bicycle and In-Line Skating Safety for the New Millennium

In the

Helmet Habit
I dont quite know why my daughter, Kate, fell from her bike last July. Maybe she hit a small rock or just lost her balance. We found Kate lying on the ground. She was bleeding and had several cuts and bruises on her face and forehead. We called the paramedics and she began to lose consciousness just as they arrived. At the emergency room, we found out that Kate had a broken nose, a missing tooth, and four other loose teeth. Fortunately, for all of us, Kate was wearing a bicycle helmet. Without even asking, three different doctors have told us that the helmet probably saved Kates life. Bicycle accidents can happen to anyone! Karen Brust Boston, Massachusetts

B ICYCLE S AFETY : L ET S M AKE I T A P RIORITY !

Protect your child!
Did you know that each year over 1,200 people die and thousands more are seriously injured in bicycle accidents? According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, more than 500,000 emergency room visits annually in the U.S. are attributed to bicycle accidents. Surprisingly, most of these accidents, especially those involving Over 500,000 trips a year are children, occur on quiet residential made to streets. Most do not involve cars. And emergency rooms many could be prevented with proper for bicycle-related training and safety equipment. injuries. Think about it. Before were allowed to drive a car, we have to be a certain age and go through extensive training and testing. Yet many of us children in particularride the very same roads on a bicycle with little or no training at all. Kids are especially vulnerable because of their undeveloped peripheral vision (about two-thirds that of adults), poor speed judgment, and lack of a sense of danger. At Ride Safe, we believe bicycle safety education is crucial to our wellbeing and to that of our children. The bottom line? Bicycle safety is something we all need to make a priority!

IN THIS ISSUE:
Bicycle Safety: Lets Make It a Priority! / 1 Accidents Waiting to Happen / 1 When Should a Helmet Be Replaced? / 2 Kids and Traffic: Special Reasons for Concern / 2

A CCIDENTS W AITING TO H APPEN

The majority of bicycle-car accidents are not really accidents, but avoidable collisions. Most result from the bicyclists failure to use proper riding techniques in a hazardous situation. Ironically, when asked, most children injured in traffic could describe the actual law they broke.
See ACCIDENTS on page 2

Winners wear helmets!

T HE L IGHT

B ULB T E ST

W HO SAYS H ELMETS A REN T C OOL ?

To illustrate the effectiveness of a bicycle helmet, try the following. Wrap a light bulb in plastic wrap, seal the bottom with a rubber band and place it in a bicycle helmet. Secure the light bulb with tape and drop the helmet onto a flat, hard surface from above your head. The light bulb will not break. In most cases, it will even still light. Now, drop the light bulb without the protection of the helmet. The light bulb will produce a sick thud as it breaks. Helmets can make a difference.
Caution: Parents, this experiment is meant to be done by you or under your close supervision. Figure 1: Certainly not the children of Silverton, Oregon! One of the biggest reasons children dont wear bicycle helmets is because their friends dont wear them. By getting all the children in your school or neighborhood to order bicycle helmets at the same time, you can help turn this peer pressure from negative to positive. Suddenly, wearing a bicycle helmet becomes the cool thing to do. With your support, your kids can be cool, too!

See ACCIDENTS from page 1

Research indicates that 60% of all U.S. bicycle-car collisions occur among bicyclists between the ages of 8 and 12. Children are permitted to travel with only look both ways before you cross the street and make sure you stop at all stop signs warning. Obviously, these warnings are not enough.

W HEN S HOULD A H ELMET B E R EPLACED ?

After a crash. Almost all bicycle helmets are designed to absorb the impact of a crash so that your head is protected. This damages the foam liner and reduces its ability to protect in the future. If you are involved in a crash and your helmet hits the pavement, it should be carefully inspected and/or replaced. When it doesnt fit. Bicycle helmets must fit correctly to offer the intended protection. See your owners manual for information on how to achieve a correct fit. After three to five years. The Snell Memorial Foundation recommends that you replace your helmet after five years. Due to advances in technology and performance, we suggest your helmet be evaluated after three years. Normal wear and tear due to drops and exposure gradually reduces a helmets strength and protection capabilities When it isnt being worn. For whatever reason (not comfortable, too hot, too heavy, too old, doesnt match the new hat or coat, etc.), it may be time for a new helmet. Manufacturers have made dramatic improvements in style, weight, ventilation and cost over the last few years.

R ide S afe

Editor: Brandon Keith Design and Layout: Cassie Lizbeth Authors: Chris Urban Justine Youssef Amanda Knicker Published quarterly by: Ride Safe, Inc. P.O. Box 888 Warrenville, IL 60555 800-555-RIDE Fax: 630-555-9068 Copyright 2012 by: Ride Safe, Inc. All rights reserved.