Wheeled Sports Safety (bike, skate, scooter)

Key Facts

Bicycles are associated with more childhood injuries than any other consumer product except the automobile.  More than 70 percent of children ages 5 to 14 ride a bicycle regularly.

Each year, approximately 40 children are killed as bicyclists and nearly 690 children are injured daily due to bicycle-related crashes.

Head injury is the leading cause of death in bicycle crashes.  Nearly half (47 percent) of children ages 14 and under hospitalized for bicycle-related injuries are diagnosed with traumatic brain injuries.

Where, When and How

53 percent of children (16 years and under) are killed bicycling on minor roads (connecting roads and neighborhood streets) compared to 46 percent killed bicycling on major roads (high-volume roads across cities and towns).

For motor vehicle-related bicycle crashes:

• 69 percent of child bicyclist deaths occur during warmer months (May - October)
• 58 percent of child bicyclist deaths occur at non-intersection locations
• 70 percent of deaths occur between 2-8 p.m.

Who

Children are five times more likely to be injured in a bicycle-related crash than older riders (15 years and older).

Males account for 82 percent of bicycle-related deaths and 70 percent of nonfatal injuries among children.

It has been estimated that 75 percent of fatal head injuries among child bicyclists could have been prevented with a bicycle helmet.

Proven Interventions

The single most effective safety device available to reduce head injury and death from bicycle crashes is a helmet.

Helmet use can reduce the risk of head injury by 85 percent and severe brain injury by 88 percent.

Health Care Costs and Savings

The total annual cost of traffic-related bicyclist death and injury among children ages 14 and under is more than $1.5 billion.

In the United States, every $11 spent on a bicycle helmet generates $570 in benefits to society.

Georgia Bike Helmet Law

All children under 16 years of age must wear an approved bicycle helmet while riding on public roads, sidewalks and bike paths.  40-6-296 (e) (1)

Wear a Helmet - Safety Checklist

• Make it a rule - everyone must wear a helmet on every ride.  NO EXCEPTIONS.
   
• Only use helmets that meet or exceed Consumer Product Safety Commission standards.  Visit www.cpsc.gov for more information.
   
• Good helmet fit is essential.  Do not allow your children to "grow into their helmets".
   
• Do the Eyes, Ears and Mouth check:  EYES - Position the helmet on your head.  Look up.  You should see the bottom rim of the helmet, one to two finger-widths above the eyebrows.  EARS - Make sure the straps of the helmet form a V under your ears when buckled.  The strap should be snug but comfortable.  MOUTH - Open your mouth as wide as you can.  Do you feel the helmet hug your head?  If not, tighten the straps.
   
• If your child doesn't want to wear a helmet, try letting him or her pick one out.
   
• Be a role model.  Children are more likely to wear helmets when you do.

On the Bike - Safety Checklist

• Bring your child along when shopping for a bike to make sure it fits right,  There should be 1 to 3 inches between the child standing over a bike and the bike's top tube.
   
• Buy a bicycle that is the right size for the child, not one he will grow into.  Visit a bike shop if you need help.
   
• Before riding, check that the brakes work right.  Also, make sure gears shift smoothly.  The bike shop can help you with the maintenance.
   
• Inflate tires properly.  Check tire pressure regularly.
   
• A bike should have a light and reflectors on the front, back and sides.
   
• Wear clothes and accessories with retro-reflective materials.  They increase your visibility to drivers.
   
• Children should not ride bikes when it's hard to see (in the dark or fog).
   
• Children should always tell a parent or caregiver where they will be riding and what time they will return home.
   

Rules of the Road - Safety Checklist

• Adults should always demonstrate and teach safe behavior.  Learn the rules of the road and obey all traffic laws.
   

• Ride on the right side of the road.  Bikes travel with traffic, not against it.  Stay as far to the right as possible.  Bikers should ride one behind another.
   

• Use appropriate hand signals.
   

• Stop at all stop signs and stop lights.  Obey all other signals.
   

• Stop and look both ways before turning or crossing a street.  Look back before turning left.  If traffic is coming, let it go first.
   

• Teach children to watch for potholes, cracks, rocks, wet leaves, storm grates, railroad tracks or anything that could make them lose control of a bike.
   

• Children should bike only on sidewalks and paths until age 10.  Adults should supervise children on bikes until they are sure they know the rules of the road.

Related Documents
Bike Facts
Wheeled Sports Safety Fact Sheet

Related Links

Safe Kids Worldwide
Children's Healthcare of Atlanta
Bell Sports - Bike Helmets
Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute
Walk Your Child To School
Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center
Georgia Department of Transportation
National Center for Bicycling and Walking
The World Health Organization - Helmet Initiative

Wheeled Sports Safety Programs

Helmet Safety Campaign

Beginning January 9, members of Safe Kids Gainesville/Hall County will provide our annual helmet safety education training to all second graders in all city and county elementary schools.  The interactive program includes an animated video about helmet safety and a question and answer session with the instructors.  After the program, instructors will inspect the children's helmets for defects and proper fit.  Students identified by their teacher who do not currently own a helmet will be given a new helmet by the coalition.  For more information, please contact your child's school or call Safe Kids Gainesville/Hall County at (770) 219-8095.

Officer Kevin Holbrook of the Gainesville Police Department and Lt. Beverley Walker of Hall County Fire Services fit helmets at Lula Elementary.

Sgt. Kenny Lane of the Hall County Sheriff's Department ADVANCE unit fits a helmet for a student at Riverbend Elementary.

Cpl. Stan Watson of the Hall County Sheriff's Department checks a helmet for a student at Riverbend Elementary.

Officer Mike Huckaby of the Gainesville Police Department fits a helmet at Lyman Hall Elementary.

Officer Justin Palmer of the Gainesville Police Department talks to students about helmet safety at Chestnut Mountain Elementary.

Janet Thompson, RN of Northeast Georgia Medical Center's Pediatrics department inspects a helmet at Hew Holland Elementary.

Deputy Rodney Watts of the Hall County Sheriff's Department fits a student's helmet at Oakwood Elementary.

Safe Kids Program
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