Kids Helmet Safety Facts

Your child may whine and complain each time you remind him to wear his helmet while riding his bicycle. While you may be seen as the "bad guy," your child is being protected when he wears his helmet. In fact, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration points out that 17 percent of bicycle accident victims are children younger than the age of 14. Don't allow your child to be a statistic and continue to remind your child to wear his helmet each and every time he uses his bike.

Helmets Are for Every Ride

You may mistakenly think that your child is fine to go without a helmet if she's only riding around your neighborhood or priding in your driveway. Even if your child is not going to be around traffic, she still needs to wear her helmet. Helmets can protect against oncoming impact, but they also protect against falls and head injuries. Your child should be wearing a helmet each and every time she uses her bicycle, notes the American Academy of Pediatrics. Make it a rule that she cannot use her bike without one.

Some Children Never Wear Helmets

A staggering 44 percent of children don't wear or seldom wear a helmet at all, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission. That means 44 percent of children are heading out on their bikes completely unprotected from head injuries. Head injuries can be as simple as a cut or bruise on the forehead to something as severe as concussion and even brain damage from a particularly bad fall or motor vehicle accident. It's an unacceptable statistic, but since helmet laws only exist in 21 states and Washington, D.C., it's often the parents' duty to enforce bike helmet usage for their children.

Helmets Need Perfect Fit

It can be tempting to purchase your child's clothes and sporting goods in a size larger than he wears to get the most usage out of the items. But helmets should fit perfectly when you purchase them. Test your child's sizing by having her try on a variety of helmets. When fastened and tightened, the helmet should not move from side to side or front to back, warns the Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center. Your child's forehead should also be properly covered to keep it protected.

Helmets Should Be Replaced

Helmets will not last forever. Once the helmet no longer fits your child, it should be replaced with a larger helmet. Helmets should also be replaced after an accident or fall, as it may not longer be strong enough to protect your child from anther fall, points out the American Academy of Pediatrics. While it's fine to use a secondhand helmet as long as it's in good condition, be wary about purchasing secondhand helmets when you don't know the history of the helmet and whether it ever sustained an injury and deterioration.