Remember Helmets This Holiday Season!

With Christmas right around the corner, many children will be waking up Christmas morning to a new skateboard, bicycle or even a scooter under the tree. Equally as important to unwrap is a new helmet to use with their new wheels.

Helmets often get overlooked, but the reality is that they can help prevent catastrophic injuries. Nearly 50 percent of children under the age of 14 are hospitalized for bicycle, in-line skating and skateboard-related injuries and diagnosed with a brain injury, but by using a proper helmet, many of those injuries could have been prevented. According to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, wearing a helmet while riding a bike can reduce the risk of a head injury by as much as 85 percent.

Helmets come in all different shapes and sizes. Different sports and activities require various types of helmets. It is important to pick out the proper type of helmet for the activity your child will be taking part in. Equally as important is to make sure the helmet fits and is worn properly. If not, then it will offer less protection. A helmet should fit comfortably, but also be snug. The helmet should sit level on your child’s head, not too far forward or back. Moreover, a well-fitting helmet should not move in any direction when adjusted and fastened properly.

Helmets should always be maintained and kept in decent shape. Even though helmets are designed to take blows, they should be replaced if you have been involved in a serious accident. Many sporting goods shops will inspect helmets for free, so if you are in doubt about the shape of your helmet, take it in to the professionals.

As a parent, you should make sure to set a good example for your kids. When you are riding your bike with your children, wear a helmet so that they can see that wearing one is the right thing to do. Not only will you be leading by example, but you will protect yourself at the same time. Be firm with your kids about wearing a helmet at all times when riding a bike, scooter or skateboard. Start them at an early age so that they understand that helmet use is important when they are “on wheels,” so that they continue this safe behavior as they get older.

Watch out for your children’s safety. Death and traumatic brain injuries can happen unexpectedly. Taking unnecessary risks only increase these odds. This Christmas, when your kids want to take their new skateboard, bike or scooter out for a first ride, make sure they have on a properly fitting helmet.

If your child suffers a brain injury or is injured this holiday season, a Citrus County Brain Injury Attorney at Whittel & Melton can assist you. We represent injury victims in Inverness, Crystal River, Beverly Hills, Lecanto, Homosassa, Dunnellon, Hernando, Sugarmill Woods, Citrus Springs and Floral City. Please contact us online or call us today at 352-726-0078 to receive a complimentary consultation with our injury attorneys in Citrus County.

Photo credit: Lotus Carroll / Foter.com / CC BY-NC-SA