...to not make my 5 and 3 year old wear a cycle helmet?

[blindasabatenburg]

Am I failing to protect them sufficiently? Nobody wore helmets when we were kids and I don't recall anyonr suffering a serious head injury, though we all came off from time to time.

They could just as easily fall from a climbing frame at the park, but nobody would insist on a helmet for the park!!!

sorry - I meant any sort of head injury (the helmet was damaged as was his knee)

Why does NOBODY in Holland wear a helmet?

I think that wearing a helmet makes riding a bike less fun, and I know that I should wear a helmet, but I don't like to.

Clara they found that the number of people cycling in Victoria and new south Wales in Australia dropped significantly when compulsory helmet wearing was introduced. I think they estimated the potential increased risk of heart disease due to reduced exercise, but really can't remember what it was....wanders off to google.

My ds rides at about 3mph on the pavement so I don't make him wear one but will do when he gets a bit faster and goes on the road. So not sure if Yabu!

Clara how can a helmet mean its less fun.

I am always interested when something which is considered essential and non-negotiable in one country is considered absurd and unimportant in a (fairly similar) country.

I like the wind blowing in my hair and jumping on a bike with NO additional faff.

I wouldn't if little child at park/slow but would with older child where possible. luckily mine were never into bikes.

Makes sense. Perhaps just wear helmets on the road and not in the park/grassy areas.

The OP seems to be asking something that noone other than Montybo is getting at which is, in the event of an accident, do helmets offer good protection? PatPig you are mostly talking about the statistical likelihood of being in an accident when you're on a bike, and imo you're on a hiding to nothing, because as other posters have pointed out, your use of the statistics is flawed, and you're not getting to the point, which is whether helmets play a role in protecting cyclists.

I don't know the answers, but the questions seem to be:

1. does a helmet put you at more risk by encouraging the wearer and people around them to engage in more dangerous behaviour?
2. does a helmet not actually offer the physical protection we are told, or indeed, worsen the situation (this has been mentioned briefly, something to do with changing the weight of the head and therefore its support from the neck)

At that age they are probably only riding in the park and unlikely to do too much damage if they come off. But I would say its important to make them wear a helmet still because certainly when they are older and on the pavement and roads surely you would want them to. DP commutes to work in rush hour traffic and there is no way he would do that without a helmet. But he wears it any time he is on his bike partly so DD knows that's what you do. His uncle was knocked of his bike and killed too which does make the whole thing a bit more personal.

Of course what you do with your own child is up to you. But good luck trying to convince them they have to wear them when they are older if you change your mind.

I take the advice of my father in law who is world renowned neurologist. I take into account his 45 years of experience, his education and the extensive research he has done and read. I am not an expert but he really, really is. He is a mild mannered man but gets very upset about this. He has seen to many brain injuries from bike accidents that would have been a bad headache instead if a helmet had been worn. It is up to you what you choose to do for yourself and your children. But my dd wears a helmet.

I wear a helmet and ensure my dses always do.

Roads are nothing like when I was a child cycling, the number of cars has increased massively and I do think it is riskier because of that. It is the norm in our house to wear a helmet, the dses don't think twice about it.

I've come off my bike and knocked myself out despite wearing a helmet. I shudder to think what may have happened had I not been wearing a helmet. I had bruising from the helmet on my forehead!

Well it's your choice, but I prefer to get my two, who are similar age, to wear helmets for cycling. It's a habit I'd like them to get used to.

DH and I both cycle regularly and wear helmets. DH was in an accident as a teenager. Despite wearing a helmet he suffered severe concussion (was unable to sit his A-levels). Without a helmet his injuries would have been much worse.

A friend of mine is a traffic cop. Obviously, he has to attend accidents involving children and also has to break the bad news to families.

He says there is no way his children will ride bikes without helmets. He says they do make a difference between injury and brain injury and, in some case, life and death.

If you can reduce the risk of your child dying, by simply teaching them to wear a cycle helmet, why not?

Your choice OP, but think about what you are risking.

photographs of raod racing in holland

ifyouletmefinish I've never been convinced that a doctors opinion is anymore valid in the subject, than anyone else's. Docors specialised in medicine/surgery/what have you, not impact physics. How can they predict how the outcome would be different with or without a helmet.

Once again, I realise that it sounds as if I am being arsey bur I'm genuinely interested in what has informed his opinion specifically

cycle helmet wearing is on the increase in Holland

DD is 2.5 and for the last year has used a balance bike to come on the school run or to the shops.

She's onto her second helmet as the first had suffered so much damage, having been landed on heavily on tarmac. It also saved her from several nasty facial injuries because the peak hit the ground instead of her face.

My understanding of the current evidence is that while helmet benefits are questionable in certain circumstances, children travelling at lowish speeds with correctly fitted helmets are likely to have fair protection cf non-helmet wearers.

I spend a lot of free time mountain biking and my children are keen to accompany me. They know that helmet wear is compulsory.

Out of interest, why do some people actively oppose helmet use?

If they got a head injury would you ever forgive yourself?

IMO wearing helmets are as basic a requirement as wearing a seatbelt in a car.

ivykate interesting link

"This is because cycling is a healthy, low-risk activity akin to walking or swimming"

I agree with others that it depends on where you are riding the bike. If you are on roads, going down hill etc, then correct helmets, not bought from discount shops, fitted properly, will prevent a serious head injury.

Most people who have serious aquired brain injuries are kept in "institution" type places, so we don't see the outcome of simple, preventable, aquired brain injury. If we did, we would be removing risk when possible. There are numerous conditions caused by less serious head injuries, which again, we don't tend to talk about much.

I have researched bike safety, in terms of scooters and under 50cc mini moter bikes, as my DD, with SN wants one for her 16th Birthday.

Many people do not realise that when riding a pedal bike at speed you can be going faster than a scooter. If you are on the road and hit by a car, there is no difference between a mini motor bike and a pedel one, except on a motorbike, you will be safely dressed and trained to ride it safely.

I think that it is better to start road safety young, as trying to tell a teenage boy (these have the highest serious injury and death rate, during any activity), how to do anything safely, is near impossible. It needs to be drummed into them as soon as they begin any activity.

Great link ivykaty!

D

Oops posted too soon!

I don't understand people saying their kids don't wear them on pavements either - pavements are as hard as roads when your head smashes into them at speed!