Each day in emergency rooms nationwide, more than 700 kids are treated for injuries received while riding bikes, skateboards and scooters. Many of these injuries are life-threatening and disabling. Wearing helmets and other protective gear, and following the rules of the road can help prevent injuries.   

Follow these tips to assure your child wears a bike helmet:
•    When you buy your child’s first bike, buy a helmet, too.
•    Be sure the helmet you buy is approved by the Consumer Product Safety Commission.
•    Make wearing a helmet a rule you enforce.
•    Be a role model, always wear a helmet when you ride a bike.
•    Let your child personalize the helmet by using stickers or paint to decorate it.
•    Praise your child and others for wearing their helmets.
•    Help your child realize the head is the most important part of the body.
•    Help your child’s school establish and support the rule: “If you ride your bike to school, you must wear a helmet.”
•    Make sure the helmet fits properly. If the helmet is too loose, it is not protecting your child’s head. Bike riding can be fun for your family. Make sure everyone is wearing a helmet.

Protect your child by teaching the rules of the road
Riders should be restricted to sidewalks and paths until they reach the age of 10 and can demonstrate they know the rules of the road. Supervision is essential until children develop the necessary traffic skills and judgment.
•    Bicycles are vehicles, not toys. Riding bikes, scooters, skateboards and inline skates – especially around traffic – is an important responsibility.
•    When on the road, ride with traffic rather than against it. Ride as far to the right as possible.
•    Use appropriate hand signals.
•    Respect traffic signals. Stop at all stop signs and red lights.
•    Stop and look left, right and left again before crossing an intersection.
•    Look back and yield to traffic coming from behind before turning left at intersections.
•    Don’t ride when it’s dark. If riding at dusk, dawn or in the evening is unavoidable, equip your bike with lights. Make sure your bike has reflectors as well. Wear clothes and accessories that incorporate retroreflective materials.

FAST FACT: your child is 14 times more likely to survive a bike crash if he or she is wearing a helmet.

Jane Howard is the Injury Prevention event coordinator for Children’s Health Education Center. She works primarily with the Kohl’s Tour for Kids Safety. The tour travels throughout eastern Wisconsin offering booster and car seat checks and bike helmet fitting events. Low-cost bike helmets are available for purchase. Trained experts will fit your child with a bike helmet. These events are free and open to the public. No appointment is necessary. A limited number of Kohl’s gift cards also will be given away. Check for a tour stop near you at www.chw.org/carseats.