According to the Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute (BHSI), no federal laws require children to wear bicycle helmets, but many state laws do. And all but three states have laws that require children to wear motorcycle helmets, reports the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Be safe and view a video to learn how to use children's helmets--of all types--properly.
Bike Helmet Safety
The video "Bike Helmet Safety" is offered on ConsumerReports.org (see Resources). This one-minute video is targeted toward parents and guardians. It illustrates the proper way to fit a helmet on a child, and demonstrates several checks to determine whether the helmet is adjusted properly for maximum safety.
NHTSA: Bicycle Helmets
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration website (see Resources) presents "Bike Safe--Bike Smart," a video that lasts about nine minutes. The video's intended audience includes "tweens" ages 8 to 12, and content is presented by kids who use kid-friendly demonstrations to illustrate bicycle safety as well as how to buy and fit a bicycle helmet properly.
NHTSA: Motorcycle Helmets
NHTSA offers two motorcycle helmet safety videos (see Resources). Both videos are subtitled. The first, "How to Choose the Right Helmet," is a seven-minute video that you should view before your child because it contains a simulated accident scene. This video shows the process for buying a well-fitted motorcycle helmet.
The second video, "Wear It Every Time You Ride," is a one-minute video that shows a young man looking at a motorcycle for sale. He asks why the bike is for sale, and the man selling it says his brother didn't like wearing a helmet and now he "can't do much of anything anymore." The message is that when riding a motorcycle, wear a helmet every time. Children at any age could watch this video, as it does not contain the graphic parts the first video does.
Skateboarding Helmets
For skateboarding helmet safety, show children an eight-minute video, presented in two parts, which you can play directly from the 5min Life Videopedia site (see Resources). This video replays a segment of the TV show "The Drs." In the clip, the physician hosts explain to a young guest the importance of wearing a helmet while skateboarding. To make their point, they show a reenactment of an accident and then the real-life aftermath for a young man who sustained a head injury while skateboarding without a helmet. The video is not too graphic, but it does show actual footage of the injured skateboarder when he is in a coma in the hospital.
Football Helmets
"How to Fit a Football Helmet" is an eight-minute video also available on the 5min Life Videopedia site (see Resources). This demonstration shows two coaches explaining how to buy and adjust a football helmet to fit any head size. At the four-minute point, the hosts discuss fitting helmets for young children. Older teens may benefit from this video, but it probably will not be engaging to younger viewers.
Types of Helmets
Children's helmets are crucial not only for bicycling and motorcycling, but also for many other sports and activities. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission's "Which Helmet for Which Activity" is not a video, but a brochure that lists the types of helmets by activity. Knowing the types of helmets available helps parents search more accurately for safety videos regarding each particular style of helmet. Helmets come in these types: BMX, downhill, skateboard, bicycle, motorcross, motorcycle, karting, moped, equestrian, mountaineering, baseball batter, baseball catcher, hockey, lacrosse, ski and snowmobile.
References
- Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute: Helmet Related Satistics
- Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute: Helmet Laws for Bicycle Riders
- Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute: Bicycle Helmet Videos and Films
- Consumer Products Safety Commission: Which Helmet for Which Activity?
- Insurance Institute for Highway Safety: Current US Motorcycle and Bicycle Helmet Laws
- 5min Life Videopedia: How to Fit Football Helmet
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