Kid's bike helmet safety is something that’s really important to our family because we know how crucial it is to protect our brains—especially our children’s brains. Did you know that wearing a helmet can reduce serious head injuries by 69% and fatal head injuries by 33%? Those numbers alone are reason enough for our family to always choose to wear a helmet. However, just because you’re wearing a helmet, it doesn’t mean that it has all the capabilities of keeping you safe.
There are some key things to know when putting on and wearing a helmet to ensure that that helmet is doing its full job. My husband, Nick Troutman, has had multiple head injuries throughout the course of his life, and we’ve known from first-hand experience how deeply it can affect you. So, for our kids, if they’re going out anywhere at all, we have a helmet on at all times policy.
Pick the Right Sized Helmet
To pick the right helmet, you first need to take the measurement of your kid's head because the circumference of their head is going to help you understand the manufacturer's website and which helmet is actually going to fit them.
Once you’ve got the right size helmet, the next step is deciding what style of helmet you want. For biking, there are two that we look at, and that’s skater style or bike style. Following that, you need to make sure that the helmet is positioned correctly on your child’s head. You don’t want it too far back or too far forward. The helmet should sit about two fingers above their eyebrows.
Outfit the Helmet
Another thing you want to do in terms of helmet safety is make sure that your kid’s helmets aren’t rocking back and forth. When the helmet is on your child’s head, there are a few different ways to outfit the helmet. Some come with padding, and some come with a ratchet in the back. Make sure that whichever style of helmet you’re using, it isn’t wobbling on their head—it should be pretty snug.
If you’ve opted for a biker-style helmet, you’ll need to make sure that you really tighten down the wheel so that the helmet is not moving or wobbling. Whereas if it's a skater-style helmet, then it will come with pads and velcro, and you’re going to go ahead and pad the helmet out so it fits tightly.
Make Wearing a Bike or Skate Helmet a Habit
Something else to remember when you’re trying to work with your kids and get them to wear helmets is to make it a habit. When you make it a habit, then they understand that whenever they’re on a bike, a scooter, or anything where they could be going fast, it’s good to have a helmet on.
Our kids have a no bike, scooter, or anything with wheels policy unless they have their helmets on. And we make no exceptions because, honestly, when you make exceptions, then accidents could happen. So be sure your kids understand the safety of helmets and that it’s helmets first, always.
Finally, we’ve found that when it comes to getting our kids to wear helmets, you need to just simply wear them. Often people have helmets, but they don’t put them on all the time. Our kids know that they don’t get to go on anything with wheels if they aren’t wearing a helmet, which means if they get caught, they then lose the opportunity of riding their bike or scooter.
Kid's Bike and Skater Helmet Safety: Conclusion
Teaching your kids from a young age the importance of wearing a helmet is crucial to ensure their safety. Make wearing a helmet a habit, lead by example, and always remember that helmets always come first.
We did another safety article involving helmets. Be sure to check out our Kayaking with Kids article too!
Clothing: Cotopaxi Fuego Down Kids’ Jacket, Cotopaxi Teca Cálido Reversible Kids’ Jacket, Cotopaxi Fuego Hooded Down Jacket, Cotopaxi Trico Hybrid Women’s Jacket
Bikes: Bosch e-Bikes – Yuba Spicy Curry (Cargo)
Camera: GoPro Mini
Sunglasses: Wiley X
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