October 2004, #25


Protect Your Head!

October is Brain Injury Awareness month and according to the Brain Injury Association of America (BIAA), traumatic brain injury is the most frequent cause of disability and death among children and adolescents in the United States.

The majority of head injuries come from riding in a car during a crash. But it is important to remember that brain injury is the leading cause of death in bicycle crashes and it is the leading cause of disability among those who survive (BIAA). This brings us to the importance of wearing a helmet, and protecting your noggin.

Parents should be aware that as of January 2003, all people under 18 years of age are required by law to wear a helmet while operating or riding on any bicycle, non-motorized scooter, skateboard, in-line skates, or roller skates. Remember: a mind is a terrible thing to waste.

Here are some important tips to help you select, adjust, and wear a helmet correctly.
Rule #1: Wear it every time you ride. Wearing a helmet reduces the risk of serious injury, just like buckling your seat belt every time you get in a car. Dangling your helmet from the handlebars only protects your handlebars. And while you may not want to scuff up your hand grips, we can assure you that your gray matter is more important.

Rule #2: Make sure it fits. Helmets need to fit snugly in order to protect your head in a crash. A loose fit (meaning the helmet wiggles front-to-back or side-to-side) or loose helmet straps allow your skull to bounce around inside the helmet on impact. Bouncing your brain around like a rubber ball inside your head is not a good idea.

Chin straps should keep the helmet level on your head, and be just loose enough to fit one or two fingers between your chin and your chin strap. Helmets should never be worn tilted back on the head: this leaves your delicate forehead and temples--the most likely impact points on your skull--unprotected. It also gives you the worst kind of helmet hair.

Rule #3: Replace any helmet that has been in a crash. If you hit your head and “use” the helmet, replace it immediately. The inner foam liner crushes to absorb an impact, and it can only do this job once.

Rule #4: Helmets have a lifespan of 5 years. The foam liner becomes brittle and loses its original ability to “crush” and absorb impact over time (just like an old Styrofoam cooler), regardless of how well it is cared for. Check the manufacturer’s date sticker inside your helmet. If the sticker is missing or the helmet is over 5 years old, destroy and replace it.

Protect yourself and your children by wearing helmets properly. Stop by your local bike shop. They know all about safe helmet fit and care, and can assist with a good fit and a comfortable helmet. BikeAlameda can also offer assistance at its Valet Bike Parking booth at local events, or at http://www.bikealameda.org.

If you have questions regarding pedestrian/bicycle safety, please call Sergeant Ted Horlbeck, Alameda Police Traffic Department at 337-8300. John Knox White and Audrey Lord-Hausman work with Pedestrian Friendly Alameda (www.pedfriendly.org) and Bike Alameda (www.bikealameda.org).

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