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Having children wear bicycle helmets is the single most effective thing parents can do to make bicycle riding safer. In the United States, approximately 600 children die from bicycle related injuries each year - with 80% of these children suffering from head trauma. This exceeds the combined death rate from accidental poisonings, falls, and firearm injuries to children.
This article is designed to help you understand some of the more salient, aspects of bicycle safety, which include:
1. Recognizing the seriousness of "bicycle related injuries."
2. Understanding "when and how most bicycle accidents occur."
3. Teaching children the "rules of safe bicycle riding."
4. Knowing what to look for when "purchasing a bicycle helmet."
Bicycle Related Injuries
Bicycling has become an increasingly popular sport in the United States. Unfortunately, this increase in popularity has been accompanied by a dramatic increase in bicycle related injuries and deaths. Children are especially vulnerable. Of the 93 million bicyclists in the United States, nearly half are children under 15 years of age. Nearly 900,000 children are treated each year for bicycle related injuries.
While many once common childhood illnesses have become quite rare, trauma from accidents remains in epidemic proportions. Of all types of accidents, head trauma is the most serious. Here are some notable facts about head trauma:
One-third of all child...