BICICLE SAFETY IS NO ACCIDENT
MESSAGE TO PARENTS, TEACHERS AND MOTORISTS
Many children are
now riding bicycles back and forth to school.
Parents, teachers
and motorists should take special precautions to make
sure these trips are safe. The National Highway Traffic
Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety
Commission (CPSC) urge parents and teachers to teach proper bicycle
riding skills and habits to children. Parents, teachers and other
adults can act as role models by exhibiting proper riding behavior.
The two agencies urge motorists to watch for children riding
bicycles and to use extra caution during warm weather and during
those hours when children are most likely to be traveling to and
from school.
Each ycar, almost
900 bicyclists are killed in collisions between bicycles and motor
vehicles on roaways. Another 300 bicyclists are killed in
non-roadways collisions in locations such as parks, bike paths and
driveways, more than one million bicycle injuries are treated
annually.
About one-thirds
of the deaths and about two-thirds of the injuries involve children
under the age of 15. Three out of four deaths are due to head
injury, and about one-third of the injuries
are to the head and face. The most severe injuries are those
that cause permanent damage to the brain.
Many of these
deaths and injuries can be prevented through proper education and
trainig. Parents and teachers play a major role in educating
children in proper behavior and techniques. Motorists can be alert
to bicyclists and take particular precautions with children.
CLOTHING
In addition to a
helmet, riders should wear the proper clothing. Clothing should be
marked with reflective materials. Vest, jackets, tape, wrist bands
and other items that make the rider
visible to motorits are widely available.
Clothing should
be closefitting to avoid getting caught in the moving parts of the
bicycle. Headphones should never be worn, as they hinder the child’s
ability to hear traffic.
BICYCLE HELMETS
Studies have
shown that using bicycle helmets can reduce head injuries byup to 95
percent. Parents must insist that children wcar helmets when riding
to act as role models for the child,as well as for their own
protection.
A bicycle helmet
should have a snug , but comfortable fit. Parents should not
purchase it as something the chid will “grow into” Helmets are
available with
different thicknesses of internal padding to help in proper fit. The
helmet must have a chin strap and buckles that will stay securely
fastened. The helmet should fit snugly atop the head.
There are two
nationally-recognized
safety standars for bicycle helmets sold in the United States. Both
of these standars contain requirements
for the helmet features discussed above. Helmets meeting
the Snell Memorial Foundation requeriments or the American
National Standars Institute (ANSI) requirements will have a label from that organization on the
helmet. NHTSA recommends that bicyclists wear only those helmest
that are labeled as conforming with one of these voluntary standars.
These helmets have been tested and will likely provide better
protection than other helmets. If the helmet is invilved in a crash,
replace it or have it examined by the manufacturer before reuse. The
CPSC in now evaluating bicycle helmet safety standars to determine
if their effectiveness can be increased.
Helmets come in a
varicty of styles. The child should participate in the selection of
the helmet to assure proper fit. Parents should make certain that
the child uses it all the time while riding a bicycle.
For further
information, contact the National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration, Safety Countermcasures Division, NTS-23, 400 7th
Steeet, SW, Washington, DC 20590 or the consumer Product Safety
Commission, Washington, DC 20207.
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