A Head for Safety

bikehelmetsafety

Q: Why isn’t there ever a Kid’s Day? A: Every day is Kid’s Day.

We get this question every year (usually on Mother’s Day, of course). It’s a cliché, but it’s true. And there you are, answering the question just like your mother did.

Speaking of those kids, we feel the same way about their safety. So it’s OK if you didn’t know this week is the 2010 Safe Kids Week because as far as we’re concerned, every week is Child Safety Week. But since it is officially happening this week, we’ve got a few handy reminders for you as the summer gets into full swing.

Over the years, we’ve shared tips on fire safety, water safety and pedestrian safety. All are important to brush up on. This year’s Safe Kids Week theme is Got Wheels? Get a Helmet! And we’re behind it all the way.

Here are some not-so-fun facts to support wearing a helmet. A child’s skull is only one centimetre thick (less than the width of your average pen). That’s fragile, and can be easily fractured by an impact sustained at low speeds of 7 to 10 km an hour—a speed that kids on bicycles can reach easily. Traumatic brain injuries account for 8% of emergency room visits by cyclists, 4% of visits by skateboarders and in-line skaters and 6% for injuries related to scooters (for kids under 19), according to the Public Health Agency of Canada. The good news is that wearing a helmet can reduce the risk of head injury by 85%.

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