Bicycle helmets required

Published Dec. 11, 2008
By Jim Hammonds
30th Space Wing Ground Safety

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall,
Humpty Dumpty had a great fall.
All the king's horses and all the king's men
Couldn't put Humpty together again.

Guess what? The same logic applies to bicycles, scooters, roller blades, skateboards and other "non-motorized transportation devices." All it takes is one bad spill and all of Uncle Sam's vast medical science resources may not be able to put a damaged skull or traumatically injured brain back together again.

AFI 91-207 states that "all persons" who ride bicycles, scooters, skateboards, roller blades/skates, etc., must wear helmets while using them on base. The California Vehicle Code (CVC), Section 21212, requires all persons under 18 years of age to wear a properly fitted and fastened bicycle helmet. So, besides just being good, common sense, it is the law.

While you're at it, not just any old head covering satisfies the requirements. It needs to be a helmet approved by one of many national standards organizations (Consumer Product Safety Commission-CPSC, American National Standards Institute-ANSI, American Society for Testing and Materials-ASTM, or the Snell Memorial Foundation) to meet the requirements of the AFI or CVC. How can you tell if a helmet meets those requirements? Check the sticker inside the helmet.

Why bother? According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Institute, properly fitted bicycle safety helmets reduce the risk of head injury by 85% and the risk of brain injury by 88%. More children ages 5 to 14 go to hospital emergency rooms for injuries associated with bicycles than any other sport.

The US Centers for Disease Control & Prevention states that each year over 600,000 people are treated in emergency departments for bicycle-related injuries, and 824 die from this type of injury. CDC also states that head injury is the most common cause of death and serious disability in bicycle-related crashes. Each year about 153,000 children get treatment in hospital ERs for bicycle-related head injuries.

NO PROBLEM! Unless, of course, it's your head or your child's head that just bounced off the concrete without a helmet!

Okay. Maybe you're convinced that it's not such a bad idea to wear a helmet. You go to the store to buy a properly certified helmet. Good choice! Now What? You want to ensure that you select the proper size and fit. The Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute (BHSI) has a comprehensive list of helmet sizes according to manufacturers at: www.danscomp.com/products/charts/helmetchart.htm. Here are some basic steps from the BHSI to properly select and fit your bicycle helmet:

1. SIZE: Measure your head for approximate size, then try on appropriate helmet to ensure it fits snuggly. Some helmets even come with "sizing pads" to customize the fit. This has an added benefit for growing children - as they grow, the pads can be removed for continued fit.

2. POSITION: The helmet should sit level on your head and low on your forehead - one or two finger-widths above your eyebrow.

3. BUCKLES: Center the left buckle under the chin. (On most certified helmets the straps can be pulled from the back of the helmet to lengthen or shorten the chin straps.)

4. SIDE STRAPS: Adjust the slider on both straps to form a "V" shape under, and slightly in front of, the ears.

5. CHIN STRAP: Buckle your chin strap. Tighten the strap until it is snug, so that no more than one or two fingers fit under the strap.

You have now decided a helmet is the right thing to use. You've selected a certified helmet and ensured a proper fit (for yourself or for your child). You've adjusted it properly. You're done, right? You might as well take the money you just spent and throw it away (or give it to me), unless you do one other thing. You must put it on, buckle it up, and wear it EVERY single time you ride the bicycle, scooter, roller skates/blades or skateboard. Otherwise you're wasting your time and money.

One last, but very vital thing to remember for children: BHSI strongly warns parents to ensure their children do not wear their bicycle safety helmets while playing in playgrounds, trees, or other climbing activities. These activities could result in the helmet snagging on a branch or piece of equipment and choking the child.

As most parents know, you can tell your children to wear their helmet whenever they ride or skate, but they still may forget. What better way to introduce and reinforce the idea of always wearing their helmet is for you to "lead by example?" Your kids will love it if you bike or skate with them - of course, you will be wearing a properly certified and fitted helmet. (And for those of you parents who may not have ridden or skated recently - shall we talk about elbow-pads and knee-pads?)