Volume 5, Issue 3 March 2018
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
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
Bicycle Safety for Enthusiasts
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
children, occur on quiet residential streets. Most do not involve cars.
And many could be prevented
with proper training and safety
equipment. Over 500,000 trips a
Think about it. Before were year are made to
allowed to drive a car, we have emergency rooms for
to be a certain age and go bicycle-related injuries.
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 Sure Ride, we believe bicycle safety education is crucial to our
well-being and to that of our children.
The bottom line? Bicycle safety is something we all need to make a
priority!
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.
 ......................................................................................................... Helmets save lives!

T HE L IGHT B ULB T EST W HO S AYS 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: This experiment is
meant to be done under close
supervision.
Figure 1: Certainly not the children of Shasta, California! One of the
ACCIDENTS from page 1 biggest reasons children dont wear bicycle helmets is because their
Research indicates that 60% of friends dont wear them. By getting all the children in your school or
neighborhood to order bicycle helmets at the same time, you can
all U.S. bicycle-car collisions occur
help turn this peer pressure from negative to positive. Suddenly,
among bicyclists between the ages wearing a bicycle helmet becomes the cool thing to do. With your
of 8 and 12. Children are permitted support, your kids can be cool, too!
to travel with only look both ways
before you cross the street and
make sure you stop at all stop signs W HEN S HOULD A H ELMET B E R EPLACED ?
warnings. Obviously, these After a crash. Almost all bicycle helmets are designed to absorb
warnings are not enough. 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
Sure Ride pavement, it should be carefully inspected and/or replaced.
Editor: When it doesnt fit. Bicycle helmets must fit correctly to offer the
Terrence Morrow intended protection. See your owners manual for information
Design and Layout: on how to achieve a correct fit.
Sophie Brown
Authors: After three to five years. The Snell Memorial Foundation
Ryan Steele recommends that you replace your helmet after five years. Due
Sherai McAvoy
Hannan Cantor to advances in technology and performance, we suggest your
Published quarterly by: helmet be evaluated after three years. Normal wear and tear due
Sure Ride, Inc. to drops and exposure gradually reduces a helmets strength and
P.O. Box 252 protection capabilities.
Redding, CA 96002
800-555-RIDE When it isnt being worn. For whatever reason (not comfortable,
Fax: 530-555-9068 too hot, too heavy, too old, doesnt match the new hat or coat,
Copyright 2018 by:
Sure Ride, Inc. etc.), it may be time for a new helmet. Manufacturers have made
All rights reserved. dramatic improvements in style, weight, ventilation and cost
over the last few years.
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