c09 E09 Newsletter
c09 E09 Newsletter
c09 E09 Newsletter
Helmet Habit
I dont quite know why my daughter, Kate, fell from her bike last July. Maybe she hit a small rock or just lost her balance. We found Kate lying on the ground. She was bleeding and had several cuts and bruises on her face and forehead. We called the paramedics and she began to lose consciousness just as they arrived. At the emergency room, we found out that Kate had a broken nose, a missing tooth, and four other loose teeth. Fortunately, for all of us, Kate was wearing a bicycle helmet. Without even asking, three different doctors have told us that the helmet probably saved Kates life. Bicycle accidents can happen to anyone! Karen Brust Boston, Massachusetts
IN THIS ISSUE:
Bicycle Safety: Lets Make It a Priority! / 1 Accidents Waiting to Happen / 1 When Should a Helmet Be Replaced? / 2 Kids and Traffic: Special Reasons for Concern / 2
T HE L IGHT
B ULB T E ST
To illustrate the effectiveness of a bicycle helmet, try the following. Wrap a light bulb in plastic wrap, seal the bottom with a rubber band and place it in a bicycle helmet. Secure the light bulb with tape and drop the helmet onto a flat, hard surface from above your head. The light bulb will not break. In most cases, it will even still light. Now, drop the light bulb without the protection of the helmet. The light bulb will produce a sick thud as it breaks. Helmets can make a difference.
Caution: Parents, this experiment is meant to be done by you or under your close supervision. Figure 1: Certainly not the children of Silverton, Oregon! One of the biggest reasons children dont wear bicycle helmets is because their friends dont wear them. By getting all the children in your school or neighborhood to order bicycle helmets at the same time, you can help turn this peer pressure from negative to positive. Suddenly, wearing a bicycle helmet becomes the cool thing to do. With your support, your kids can be cool, too!
Research indicates that 60% of all U.S. bicycle-car collisions occur among bicyclists between the ages of 8 and 12. Children are permitted to travel with only look both ways before you cross the street and make sure you stop at all stop signs warning. Obviously, these warnings are not enough.
R ide S afe
Editor: Brandon Keith Design and Layout: Cassie Lizbeth Authors: Chris Urban Justine Youssef Amanda Knicker Published quarterly by: Ride Safe, Inc. P.O. Box 888 Warrenville, IL 60555 800-555-RIDE Fax: 630-555-9068 Copyright 2012 by: Ride Safe, Inc. All rights reserved.