Tips for 4-H and Youth
BIKE/HELMET
By NORMA FLANAGAN 4-H Director

Why Kids Are at Risk

In the simplest of terms, kids are at risk for bicycle-related injuries because kids - more than 70 percent of 5- to 14-year-olds - ride bicycles. This age group also rides about 50 percent more than the average bicyclist. So it's not hard to understand why they also account for approximately onequarter of all bicycle-related deaths and more than half of all bicycle-related injuries.

Head injury is the leading cause of death in bicycle crashes and is the most important determinant of death and permanent disability. The single most effective way to reduce head injury from bicycle crashes is to wear a helmet. In fact, riders who don't wear helmets are 14 times more likely to be involved in a fatal crash than riders who do. Unfortunately, national estimates report that helmet use among child bicyclists ranges from 15 to 25 percent. It is lowest among children ages 11 to 14.

Collisions with motor vehicles are another significant risk factor. It is estimated that motor vehicle collisions account for nearly 90 percent of all bicyclerelated deaths. Collision with a motor vehicle increases the risk of death, severity of injury, and probability of head injury.

Other risk factors:

.Children are more likely to die from motor vehicle-related bicycle crashes at non-intersection locations (74 percent), during the months of April through October (81 percent) and between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. (55 percent).

.Children are four times more likely to be injured when riding in low light (nighttime, dawn or dusk) than in daylight.

.Children are more likely to be injured on residential streets close to home. The typical bicycle/ motor vehicle crash occurs with 1 mile of the bicyclist's home; nearly 60 percent of all childhood bicycle-related deaths occur on minor roads.

.Children under 10 are more at risk. They are more likely to be seriously injured and suffer a higher proportion of head injuries.

.Children ages 4 and under are more likely than older children to be injured around the home (driveway, garage, yard).

.Unfortunately, a child's behavior is often a risk factor. Most childhood bicycle-related fatalities are associated with behaviors such as riding into a street without stopping, turning left or swerving into traffic coming behind, running a stop sign or riding against the flow of traffic.