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Ride safe this summer
Teach your child the right way to wear a helmet, snug and level (horizontal) on top of the head. In a bike crash, the risk of head injury is doubled if the helmet is worn incorrectly. Take the "Eyes, Ears and Mouth" test: • The rim of the helmet should be one to two finger-widths above the eyebrows. • The straps should form a "V" just below the ear lobe with the buckle and straps flat against the skin. • The strap should feel snug when the rider's mouth is open. Teach kids to obey traffic signs and the rules of the road. Kids should not ride without supervision until they have demonstrated that they always follow the rules. Remember, too, that your child needs to see you wear a helmet when you ride. According to a study released in 2005 by Safe Kids Worldwide and Johnson & Johnson, kids really do learn their safety habits - good and bad - by watching adult role models. The bike itself needs to fit the child, too. There should be two to four inches of clearance between the bike frame and the child's groin when the child's feet are flat on the ground. Also, make sure the bike is in good repair - reflectors are secure, brakes work properly, gears shift smoothly, and tires are tightly secured and properly inflated. It's a good idea - and in many jurisdictions, it's mandatory - to wear a bike helmet while riding a scooter, skateboard or inline skates. One last bit of advice: Let kids pick out their own helmets. A helmet that looks cool is more likely to stay on the child's head when you're not looking. These tips have been developed as part of Safe Kids Week - Make It A Safe Kids Summer - running from April 28 to May 6. Safe Kids Week is sponsored by Johnson &
Johnson. More information is available online at www.usa.safekids.org.
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