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Health Tips

Smart Bicycling

Bicycling is great physical activity, and a relatively inexpensive and fast mode of transportation. However, bicycling does carry some risks. It is important to learn what these risks are and how you can prevent injury. By riding smart, you can enjoy the many benefits of bicycling.

Helmet Safety

Wearing a helmet while you ride is extremely important to prevent head and neck injury.

  • About 540,000 bicyclists visit emergency rooms with injuries every year.
  • 1 in 8 of the cyclists with reported injuries has a brain injury.
  • Two-thirds of the deaths are from traumatic brain injury.
  • Bicycle helmets have been shown to reduce the risk of brain injury by as much as 88 percent.
  • Bicycle helmets have also been shown to offer substantial protection to the forehead and mid-face.

Smart Cycling Tips

  • Warm up and stretch for 5 to 10 minutes before you ride.
  • Wear a helmet!
  • If your bicycle fits, you’ll perform better and avoid overuse injuries. Your knees should be at about a 15-degree angle when fully extended.
  • Make sure you have lights and reflectors on your bike.
  • Carry a cell phone, or change for a pay phone, your ID card, and an emergency-contact card.
  • Wear bright clothing or a safety vest for motorists to see you easily.
  • Avoid excessive speeds, traffic, fatigue, and poor road conditions.
  • Beware at intersections. Signal your turns and look out for motorists, pedestrians, and other cyclists.
  • Fatal collisions are most common in urban areas. Roads with speed limits of 55 mph or greater produce higher rates of injuries and fatalities – be extra cautious if you must ride in these areas.
  • Use all of your senses – do not wear headphones.
  • Try to cycle only during daylight hours.

There are dozens of helmets on the market. How do I know which one to buy?

The Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute provides a wealth of information about helmet safety, including information about what to look for in a helmet, proper fit, and manufacturer standards.

Tips on Buying a Helmet

Guide your child to pick a helmet with a smooth shell.  Encourage your child to choose a helmet in a bright color so that he/she can be easily seen by motorists.  Check for a pinch-proof buckle. Put it on your child, adjust the straps and pads or the inner one-size-fits-all ring, and then make sure it will not come off.

When to Replace a Helmet?

Replace any helmet when it undergoes an impact of a crash or accident. Impact crushes some of the foam. The helmet is less protective although the damage may not be readily visible. Helmets soften impact, so the child may not even be aware that their head hit until you examine the helmet for damage. Replace the buckle if it cracks or if any piece of it breaks off. Nobody prompts you to replace your child's helmet, so give it some thought.

Proper Fit of the Helmet

Level - The helmet should be level on the rider's head.
Rim barely visible - The front rim should be barely visible to the rider's eye
Y below the ear - The Y of the side straps should meet just below the ear
Snug strap - The chin-strap should be snug against the chin so that when the rider opens their mouth very wide the helmet pulls down a little bit.
Skin moves a little - Move the helmet side-to-side and front to back, watching the skin around the rider's eyebrows. It should move slightly with the helmet. If it does not, the fit pads are probably too thin in front or back, or the helmet may even be too large.
Palm test - Have the rider put their palm on the front of the helmet and push up and back. If it moves more than an inch more fitting is required.
Shake test - Have the rider shake their head around. This can be fun. If the helmet dislodges, work on the strap adjustments.
Ask about comfort - Ask the rider if the helmet is comfortable and check to make sure there are no comfort issues that still need to be addressed.

Resources

Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute, www.helmets.org
The Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute has information about state laws, as well.

Additional information included in this article adapted from Washington University in St. Louis Health Services. 

About the Author:
Kari Sufficool is a third-year medical student from the University of Nebraska College of Medicine. Originally from Lincoln, NE, she earned a bachelor’s degree in Biology and Anthropology from Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri.  She has a strong interest in community health.

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