If your child doesn't love his helmet, have him personalize it with reflective stickers.

Change font size

Within minutes of beginning my research, my attitude changed. Pro-helmet websites and testimonials from parents across the country revealed the serious nature of this subject, reminding me - and hopefully you too - just how critical helmets are for children and teens as they head outside for summer activities on their bikes, ATVs, skateboards, rollerblades and scooters.

What's at Risk?
"Google" immediately navigated me to WearAHelmet.org, a site launched by the family of a 16-year-old boy named Brian to educate parents about the tragic consequences of not enforcing a helmet rule.

"Brian was like most 16-year-old boys," says the website. "He loved to have fun, hang out with his friends, go to the movies, think about girls and complain about school. He talked on his cell phone and listened to his MP3 player; he wanted to go to the University of Colorado at Boulder to become a history teacher. Most of all, Brian wanted to have fun.

"But all of this changed on June 22, 2006. The morning started like any other. Brian had graduated 10th grade two days before and was looking forward to a relaxing summer and hanging out with his friends, and attending camp and a trip to England and Lithuania later in the summer. But that morning, Brian decided to go skateboarding. Like many times in the past, Brian did not wear his helmet. At 11:22 a.m., his mother received a phone call from the police that Brian had been found and was being airlifted to the hospital. Brian had fallen off his skateboard and hit his head. On June 23, Brian was pronounced brain dead at the hospital. Not a single person in Brian's life will ever be the same."

There are many more similar stories on the website, coupled with staggering statistics exposing the gravity of not wearing a helmet. The bottom line: everyone should wear a helmet whenever and wherever you ride.

	Nearly 50 percent of children age 14 and under hospitalized for bicycle, skating and skateboarding injuries are diagnosed with a brain injury.

"Keep in mind that while many bike-related injuries are not fatal, many lead to traumatic brain injuries, which carry lifelong consequences of varying degrees," said Mechelle Winslow, recreational safety coordinator at Arkansas Children's Hospital Injury Prevention Center. "[This kind of] head trauma is one of the main injuries in children. Helmet use can reduce the risk of severe brain injury by 88 percent, which is the main reason we support the use of helmets," she said.

ATV Safety
The American Academy of Pediatrics says that children under the age of 16 should not ride All-Terrain Vehicles (ATVs), as some travel up to 70 MPH and do not have the safety devices of a car such as a seatbelt or airbags.

"However, if families are going to let their children ride, then we recommend riders wear protective gear from head to toe; with helmets being one of the most important pieces of safety equipment," said Hope Mullins, a UAMS research associate with the ACH Injury Prevention Center, whose particular focus is on All-Terrain Vehicle safety. Helmets can reduce the risk of death in an ATV crash by 42 percent.

"We all know what happens to people who are ejected during car crashes--the same principals apply with ATV crashes," continues Mullins, who draws knowledge from a personal ATV crash in which a helmet saved her life. Crashes and rollovers are all too common, especially when used by children, she says. "While a broken bone might heal a broken brain will not."

Preventative Measures
It only takes a moment to be the victim of a crash, and it only takes a moment to take the preventive measure of wearing a helmet, notes Mullins. "People often say ATV helmets cost a lot, [but] to that I say 'helmets cost a lot less than a hospital stay or the cost of a casket.' For me, the choice is obvious; my child's life is worth the cost of a helmet."

Here are some tips for getting your child to wear his or her helmet, courtesy of the ACH Injury Prevention Center:

• Let your child help pick out the helmet