Bicycle Helmets Save Lives – Prevent Brain Injury

I bought my son Liam a new bike this past weekend. He just couldn’t wait to get outside and go riding with his friends. But he had to wait while I made sure that his new bicycle helmet fit him properly.

Summertime is Bicycle Time

With warm weather and summer vacation the number of children on bikes increases dramatically. So do the number of children attending hospital emergency rooms with head injuries.

Last month I read an article about bicycle helmet use by a pediatric neurosurgeon from Winnepeg’s Children’s Hospital expressing concern about Manitoba’s “dismal” rate of helmet use. Only 22% of Manitoba cyclists wear a helmet when they ride.

Almost Half of Canadians Don’t Wear Helmets

According to Statistics Canada’s Community Health Survey :

Among the 11.4 million people aged 12 and over who reported bicycling in the past year, almost half (46%) never wore a helmet.

Can you believe that there are still people who refuse to wear a helmet when they ride a bike?

Good News Bad News

The good news, at least here in Nova Scotia, is that we have gone from one of the lowest rates of helmet use in the country to the highest (66%) since the province introduced legislation making helmet use mandatory. But even with laws that require helmets more than 4 out of 10 Nova Scotians still insist on risking their lives, and their brains, by riding unprotected.

How to Properly Fit a Helmet

So as a public service I have included a link to an article on helmets.org which explains how to properly fit a bicycle helmet.

So have a great summer and please make sure you and your loved ones wear a helmet!

Want more information? Contact me through this blog and ask for a free copy of my book, The Survivor’s Guide to Brain Injury Claims: How to prove the invisible injury.