This year, Safe Kids Week is May 31 to June 5 and what better way to celebrate than to make sure you and your kids are safe when out wheeling around? Helmets save lives. Helmets prevent injury. Helmets are good - get one.
Wheeled activities such as cycling, skateboarding, inline skating and scootering (or is that "scooting"?) are fun, even exciting. Making sure your activity is still going to be fun tomorrow means having some level of protection, especially for the head.
Injuries on wheels range from scrapes to breaks, and from bumps to head injuries (and yes, death). A properly fitted helmet reduces serious head injuries by 85 per cent, something to consider when you see your kids off on their day of wheeled adventure.
The human skull is about one cm thick and can be shattered by an impact at only seven to 10 km per hour. Young cyclists (let alone older ones) typically ride at speeds 11 to 16 km/hour. A properly fitted helmet protects by absorbing much of the force from an impact or crash. Enough said?
Cycling injuries to children come from high speeds, lack of experience and control and lack protective gear. The most serious involve collisions with vehicles; the most severe of these involve head and brain damage. Can a helmet help in these cases?
There is a perception among many that helmets don't do much to protect a rider in a collision with a motor vehicle. Certainly the damage to the body and head are likely to be more significant, but helmets are proven to reduce or prevent head injury in all types of falls and crashes, even with a car. What is the alternative? No helmet and zero head protection?
Five ways to protect your child's head
Make sure he or she wears a helmet every time they ride, skate, scoot or board. Helmets sold in Canada are certified by the CSA (Canadian Standards Association), CPSC (Consumer Product Safety Commission), Snell or ASTM (American Society for Testing and Materials) - all are good choices.
Get them the right kind of helmet. Most wheeled activities should get a cycling helmet, but skateboarding where repeated falls are likely calls for a skateboarding helmet. These are build with more protection for the back of the head and can endure multiple falls.
Get the right fit. There should be two fingers' width from helmet to eyebrows and straps should fit snugly.
Children under 10 should not be riding on roads. They do not yet have the physical and thinking skills to handle traffic safely and need more practice before being put in that situation.
And finally, be a role model. Anyone on wheels like these should be wearing a helmet, and that includes you. Parents and older siblings are all terrific role models for younger children. Wear a helmet and they will, too. It's a great habit to develop early.
Dr. Paul Martiquet is the Medical Health Officer for the Sea to Sky.
