Only me Posted May 12, 2009 Share Posted May 12, 2009 Do you, your kids and teens wear bike helmets? I have always made my kids wear bike helmets but last year they started complaining on this year they really want me to change the rule. I'm talking about riding around the subdivision. They don't cross any busy streets but there is still typical subdivision traffic. The boy who lived next door from me when I was a kid was killed on a bike so I'm always nervous when my kids ride. I don't know whether or not that boy would have survived if he had a helmet on. I don't want to be the overprotective mom, especially with my teens but I want to do the right thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carrie12345 Posted May 12, 2009 Share Posted May 12, 2009 Mine are still little, so there's no discussion. They were helmets on bikes, scooters, skates, you name it. You may want to google the laws in your state. Some states require helmets for anyone under 18. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erica in OR Posted May 12, 2009 Share Posted May 12, 2009 The kids, along with my husband and I, always wear helmets. Even the youngest, when he rides in the trailer. I just feel it's a good habit for us to have. Erica in OR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caroline Posted May 12, 2009 Share Posted May 12, 2009 We all wear helmets, adults included. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jen500 Posted May 12, 2009 Share Posted May 12, 2009 Everyone in our family wears a bike helmet, every time we get on a bike. We belong to a bike club, and helmets are mandatory for club rides. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted May 12, 2009 Share Posted May 12, 2009 Non-negotiable here - if you ride a bike, you wear a helmet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Diann Posted May 12, 2009 Share Posted May 12, 2009 Helmets are a must here, too. When my ds was 7, he was riding his bike in our cove, got distracted, and fell off. He hit his head hard enough to crack the helmet, bit through his lip, and scratched his face. The first question I got from the ER docs was, "Was he wearing a helmet?" I'd hate to think what would have happened had he not. He's now 15, still rides every day, and wears a helmet every time. Diann Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karen sn Posted May 12, 2009 Share Posted May 12, 2009 Odd one here. We don't wear them. I don't think they save lives, but they do protect. I know if you hit your head on the side walk it can prevent epilepsy. But not death if you are in a severe accident. It's kind of like seat belts - some people actually lived because they were NOT wearing their seatbelts. Those cases are never on TV. But we do wear seat belts. I know they can give you a ticket in some states for no helmet. You might want to research that. ETA- when younger she wore one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momofkhm Posted May 12, 2009 Share Posted May 12, 2009 dh sometimes doesn't like when we ride bikes to the pool. But I always do and the kids always do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amy g. Posted May 12, 2009 Share Posted May 12, 2009 Everyone wears a bike helmet, and everyone wears a horse back riding helmet every time. I have invested too much in those brains of theirs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicole M Posted May 12, 2009 Share Posted May 12, 2009 My friend is a pediatric neurologist and sees mostly bike accident injuries. Even before we were friends, we all wore helmets, and continue to do so. We ride a lot; we prefer to use bikes instead of cars whenever we can, so we're on the road more than many casual riders. Even if we weren't, I would enforce the habit of always wearing a helmet. It's Bike to Work Week in the state of Washington (and Bike Month here, too) so I was part of a gathering this morning for bicyclists. Free donuts! And there I learned that it's important to replace your helmet every several years or so. They even recommend replacing the helmet after it's been dropped! I was shocked at that. So tomorrow I will get myself a new helmet. Hold firm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elegantlion Posted May 12, 2009 Share Posted May 12, 2009 Helmets are non-negotiable here as well. I tell my ds his head is too precious. My dh is all on board. he crashed a motorcycle on the interstate once, helmet saved him from major injuries. We remind ds that other families are free to make whatever rules they want regarding safety, but our rules are for our benefit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blue Hen Posted May 12, 2009 Share Posted May 12, 2009 Always. Non-negotiable. I wear one, even when taking a short spin to the neighbors house in our almost car-free development. The boys wear them while at their inline speed skating practice and meets. No discussion. You want to go, you wear a helmet. When their friends visit and borrow a bike, they wear a helmet too. My house, my bikes, my rules. End of discussion. Ya don't like it, then walk! Carole Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blue Hen Posted May 12, 2009 Share Posted May 12, 2009 I have invested too much in those brains of theirs. :iagree: carole Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fivetails Posted May 13, 2009 Share Posted May 13, 2009 Kids - always always. :) Me - okay, not always so good at that. Most of the time, yes. Dh - hasn't ridden a bike in five years..when he did, he refused to wear one. He hated having to ride the bike (job at a distance, no car at the time) to begin with, nevermind wear the helmet. Not my call, he makes his own decisions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bella_gitana Posted May 13, 2009 Share Posted May 13, 2009 For us, whether riding their bikes, skateboard, rip-stick, or skates, they have to wear helmets. Usually my kids are the only ones wearing theirs in our street, so I am surprised they haven't complained. I just don't understand some parents. My neighbors' son, who just turned 14, has all kinds of riding toys and never wears a helmet. They let him ride his dirt bike around the neighborhood...no helmet! He fractured his clavicle two months ago :confused: I'm afraid one of these days it will be his head... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rita Posted May 13, 2009 Share Posted May 13, 2009 Non negotiable here. Everyone wears a helmet on anything with wheels. We've had a couple of "minor" spills that would have been much more painful without the helmet. Blessings, Rita Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HSMom2One Posted May 13, 2009 Share Posted May 13, 2009 We live in a small rural community, but all children are REQUIRED to wear helmets when riding. If anyone is seen without a helmet by our local law enforcement, they are stopped and ordered to walk the bicycle home. If a child does not own a helmet of their own, city officials have made a number available for free at our city hall (in a variety of colors). Blessings, Lucinda Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heather in Neverland Posted May 13, 2009 Share Posted May 13, 2009 YES YES YES My dh's best friend was hit and killed on his bicycle when he was 12yo. The doctors said he would have lived if he was wearing a helmet. End of story. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JudoMom Posted May 13, 2009 Share Posted May 13, 2009 They are non-negotiable here, too. When my oldest was around 5, he was riding on the sidewalk on a toddler push trike (think Little Tykes for 1-2 year olds, no pedals, not built for speed, etc). He hit a bump, went over the handle bars and split his lip completely through, knocked himself unconscious, and gave himself a concussion. He was less than a foot off the ground. A few weeks ago, this same son (almost 10) took a spill on his bike and cracked his helmet. I can't say how bad it would've been without the helmet, but I'm glad we didn't have to find out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brehon Posted May 13, 2009 Share Posted May 13, 2009 make your kids wear their helmets whenever they ride bikes, horses, skateboards, whatever. I can't tell you how many kids I have rushed to the hospital with TBI's because they didn't have a helmet on. Karen SN is right that if a kid is struck by a car and sustains other critical injuries having a helmet on might not matter. However, many bike accidents (at least in my district) aren't the result of auto-bicycle accidents. They happen for other reasons and the kid might have escaped with only scratching and bruising instead of a closed head injury had a helmet been on. Make your kids wear their helmets. Please. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Perry Posted May 13, 2009 Share Posted May 13, 2009 Absolutely. Every one of us, every single time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danybug Posted May 13, 2009 Share Posted May 13, 2009 It is non-negotiable for both my kids. It amazes me that not one of the other boys in our neighborhood ever wears one. I always feel lucky that my ds never questions it or gets upset about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BikeBookBread Posted May 13, 2009 Share Posted May 13, 2009 ABSOLUTELY! My husband is (was) a bike commuter until October 23, 2008. He was hit on the way home by a driver who just wasn't paying attention...the driver t-boned him coming off of a freeway off-ramp while my husband was proceeding on the roadway onto which the driver was turning left. THE HELMET SAVED HIS LIFE. He plunged headfirst into the car hood, was thrown from his clip-ins (his ankle was broken), his STEEL bike frame was cracked. The bike was totaled. My husband WASN'T. And although he does have an apparent neck problem, and will probably always feel that his ankle is never quite as it was, HE IS ALIVE because of that helmet. :rant: Remember this: no matter HOW careful YOU or YOUR CHILDREN are, IT'S THE OTHER GUY YOU HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT. You are on a bike. They are in a car. No contest as to who will win. Give yourself and your children the best possible chance and always wear a helmet. :rant: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dirty ethel rackham Posted May 13, 2009 Share Posted May 13, 2009 Yes, we ALL wear bike helmets, adults included. I know a woman who has significant brain damage from a low-speed bike accident (not even a collision, but a funky bump in the road.) She cannot do many of the things she was capable of before the accident. It has caused a serious strain on their family. I have had a couple near misses with cars and I was very glad to have been wearing a helment when I fell. We have many serious bicyclists in our area - training for triathlons and races. They are all decked out on their cycling clothes and helmets. So, we have the attitude that if serious cyclists can look cool wearing helmets, so can we. Then again, we tend to use bikes for transportation, not for goofing off with the neighbor kids. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyJoy Posted May 13, 2009 Share Posted May 13, 2009 Helmets will be required in our family, and not just because it's the law in CA. Though neither of us had to as kids, dh and I both wear them every time we ride, whether bike, scooter, unicycle, or rollerblades. In the first 4 months we lived here, he was hit or run off the road by cars while on his bike 3 TIMES! Two of those times he hit his head (once on the sidewalk, once on a pole) and did not injure his head either time. I'm also planning to buy myself a helmet before I go snowboarding again, as I've hit my head numerous times was blessed that it wasn't more serious than a mild concussion. I like the odds of helmet vs. tree better than head vs. tree! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TeacherZee Posted May 13, 2009 Share Posted May 13, 2009 Always! My mum used to work on a neurosurgical ward at a major teaching hospital. She saw far to many horrific injuries that might have been slightly less horrific had the biker worn a helmet. She drilled it into all of us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akmommy Posted May 13, 2009 Share Posted May 13, 2009 Yes, the kids always wear helmets when riding bicycles, rollerblades etc... I'm not as good about wearing mine as I should be though. Check your local and state laws. Our city passed an ordinance a couple of years ago requiring bicycle helmets. The kids wore them before the ordinance was passed but, now when they complain about wearing them I have that to back me up (they don't know that the ordinance only applies to bicycles, shhh...:tongue_smilie:). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melissa in Australia Posted May 13, 2009 Share Posted May 13, 2009 we all wear helmets. It is the law here in Victoria/Australia for ALL bike riders to have a helmet on. They will be fined if caught without one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blue Hen Posted May 13, 2009 Share Posted May 13, 2009 I'm also planning to buy myself a helmet before I go snowboarding again, as I've hit my head numerous times was blessed that it wasn't more serious than a mild concussion. I like the odds of helmet vs. tree better than head vs. tree! This past winter I took my boys skiing for the first time. On our 3rd outing my youngest wanted to try snowboarding. When we switched his rental over to snowboarding I insisted he wear a helmet. He had seen kids with and without helmets and thought he didn't need one. I insisted. No helmet, no snowboard. We went on the hilll together, he quickly caught on to snowboarding and soon was off with a friend to other trails. When he caught back up with me he thanked me for insisting on a helmet. A 12yo thanking his mom for making him wear a helmet! Seems he took several tumbles where he came down on the back of his helmet. We went skiing/snowboarding 4 more times and getting a helmet was not an issue. Carole Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Mungo Posted May 13, 2009 Share Posted May 13, 2009 Everyone in my family wears a helmet for bikes and skateboards but not scooters. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennifer in MI Posted May 13, 2009 Share Posted May 13, 2009 If you have wheels under your body, you have a helmet on your head!!! My 11 yo ds flew over his handlebars last year. He hit his head on the pavement so hard, he cracked the helmet. We thought he may have broken his arm, so we took him for xrays. The first question the ER doc asked was if he was wearing his helmet. When ds said yes, the doc said that it would've been a VERY different ER visit if he hadn't been. Thank God for helmets!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LaxMom Posted May 13, 2009 Share Posted May 13, 2009 Yes, every time they're on a bike, even if they're in the yard. Same deal here as previously posted: parents who were/are paramedics. In the vast majority of accidents, helmets (or seatbelts, or properly installed car seats) save lives and function. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pixie Posted May 13, 2009 Share Posted May 13, 2009 Yes, they both wear helmets for riding their bikes or skiing. All 2nd graders in town get a bike safety day in the Spring and are provided with free helmets. As an incentive to get kids to wear them, the police will stop kids riding around with a helmet on and hand them coupons for free pizza (used to be shirts but according to my 2nd grader that has changed this year). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Krista in LA Posted May 13, 2009 Share Posted May 13, 2009 We all wear helmets whenever we bike here. I think our law says under the age of 13 must wear them, but why stop there. We don't let them ride in a car without a seatbelt, we don't let them ride a bike without a helmet. They fuss since nobody else on our street wears them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desert Rat Posted May 13, 2009 Share Posted May 13, 2009 Bike helmets are a must here. I do get some complaints in the summer because it's so dang hot, but it doesn't stop them from riding. Helmets for skates and boards too. Not scooters though. Don't ask me why; I don't really have a good explanation for that except it's almost like they're running and I don't make them wear helmets while running. I know, I know, not logical, but scooters have wheels... We just never made them and now I don't want the fight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amy in NH Posted May 13, 2009 Share Posted May 13, 2009 We have a big grassy yard (2+ acres), and a dirt driveway. We do not require helmets if the kids stay in the yard or on the dirt drive, but we do require them to wear helmets if they are anywhere off our property. Dh and I wear them too. If we lived in a neighborhood, they'd always wear helmets. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katiebug_1976 Posted May 13, 2009 Share Posted May 13, 2009 We do not require our kids to wear them when they are just riding around our yard/street (we live on a dead end road with only 2 other neighbors. So there is next to no traffic). But when we go on bike rides that extend past our quiet road, then helmets are a must! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom4him Posted May 13, 2009 Share Posted May 13, 2009 Always. Bike helmets are as non-negotiable as seat belts in our family. It doesn't a major collision or high speeds to have a bike helmet be the difference between inconvenience and tragedy. We watched a bicyclist fall head first onto the cement when a car door was opened suddenly in his path. ...and I was on a support group for folks were caregivers/loved ones of someone with a brain injury... it made me very aware of the simple, non-invasive things I could do to possibly prevent tragedy without... without being fearful or rearranging our lives. A seatbelt or a helmet is a small, small amount of effort and inconvenience for the increased safety you get... less effort than supervising toddlers near pools or open third story windows, but every bit as important. Hold firm, honey, you're being a responsible mom, not an overprotective one! :iagree::iagree::iagree: What are their reasons for not wanting to ware them? Do they not fit well? A helmet has to be comfortable but once you are used to them they are like going without any other part of clothing. A life can be changed forever with a head injury. Wearing a helmet is a very small thing that can help prevent this in case of an accident. My kids are the helmet police and have gotten one neighbor to buy a helmet for his little boy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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