Bike helmets

[marmeemarch1]

I have always insisted my two DDs 6 and 9 wear bike helmets. They have recently started meeting our oldest DDs friends and playing around the block. It's a very quiet area but does have some through traffic.

They like to go out on their bikes. I have said they have to wear helmets but their dad and our childminder frequently let them out without helmets.

They say they hurt their heads, make them sweaty and they are embarrassed to wear them as not all of their friends wear them. Our current compromise is if they don't want to go out with helmets they can't take their bikes, but can still play out with their friends.

I have worked with people with brain injury so am worried that my work experiences are clouding my judgement.

Wise mumsnetters what do you think

But my question was if you insist on making your child wear a helmet on a bike do you do the same for a car and if not why not?

I didn't argue against wearing a helmet on a bike

I guess rally drivers would come under the same discipline as mountain biking when wearing a helmet.
-Normal family car driving on british roads = no helmet
-Basic easy cycling on flat roads/paths/lanes = no helmet

• Rally drivers tearing around forest tracks with blind bends, uneven surface witj more potential to skid, drops & trees at speed = helmet
• Mountain bikes tearing around forest/mountain trails with drops, trees, uneven surfaces and blind bends = helmets & body armour

Common sense surely?

I wear a helmet , why not ? It's dangerous enough and why not make efforts to protect yourself

That said I was in central London yesterday and I could not believe the cyclists
Fucking hell
They will all die soon

Unbelievable behaviour

They all wore helmets !!!

Strange though that you take the lead from professional racing cyclists wearing helmets

But not professional racing drivers wearing helmets

Can you explain your reasoning in following one and not the other?

To your last post ivy
Most children in a car are in a car seat, with side impact protection.

I don't inderstand ivy was that last question aimed at me?
I agree and have explained why I think it's important for professional racing drivers to wear helmets.
Again I inderstand why professional cyclings wear helmets, due to their speed and the nature of the sport...
Road cycling races involve many collisions between fellow racers & also on bends. Mountain biking involves many collisions due to obstacles and bends.

I'm pretty sure a bike helmet would not have saved the life of the woman who went under a lorry on Chelsea bridge today

I've bounced my head off the tarmac several times* and it bloody hurts even in a helmet.

*because I am not a very good motorcycle rider.

The same arguments can be applied. If I go under a car, a helmet won't help me. If I get squished by a truck a helmet won't help me. But if I lose traction on spilt disel and bounce off the road, the fact I had a helmet on means I still have a face and a jaw.

I'd stick with making your kids wear lids.

Do you reckon those professional racing drivers wear helmets in their personal cars, when driving to the supermarket?

No lethal

I guess there may be only be a small amount of risk to a child riding a bike compared to other activities however if there is a way to reduce that risk why would you not do it anyway. Unless they then choose to not use their bikes which would be a shame that they are missing out on being active. But then letting them make that choice isn't very responsible, they cant weigh up the risks/benefits effectively. Am so confused!! I think I'm over thinking this!

Kids can be so random on bikes too. They haven't gained enough experience to make a decent dynamic risk assessment. They are more likely to miss judge a kirb, or wobble on a camber or turn their handle bars too quickly and fall flat on their face

Yes lego

You said that why do competitive cyclists rd and mnt bike wear helmets if there's arguments against, you'd take there lead/example and do the same rather than go on statistics

So I was wondering why you would follow the example of racing cyclists wearing helmets but not follow the same example from a racing driver in a rally car?

I think the stigma alwYs wears his helmet even in the supermarket 😂

But just wanted to know why you followed the lead from one and not the other?

I have allowed my 8yr old to ride around the street without a helmet on. But he has 5yrs riding experience now. He is a competent mnt biker and I would never allow him to not wear a helmet in that situation.... bit then he's experienced enougj to also know when is approriate to wear a helmet... such as I allow him to take it off on long slogs on uphill fire tracks. But he knows to put it on again for the down.
My 3yr old must always be in her helmet when riding her bike as she can be very random sometimes. But she's only been pedalling for a year.

It's about teaching your child to work ot out themselves, not just say because I said so.

I don't ivy as explained above, there are certain situations were a helmet is more important, and other times you can be relaxed. The same goes with driving. I understand why racers wear them, but I also understand that their are times when it is relaxed.
My dc wear helmet on a bike, but in a car they have very good carseats with very good cushioned side impact protection

So does that mean you don't follow the lead from professional cyclists in wearing helmets then? You let your dc work it out?

Nothing wrong with that, but it wasn't what you were indicating in your posts before

Thanks, Lego I think I might go with a similar approach, on the pavement outside, short distances, not so fast they are probably ok without but when we go out as family on longer rides where they are going faster, more obstacles and traffic I will insist on helmets.

I've also worked with people with traumatic brain injury OP so for what it's worth I will be 100% insisting DC wear a bike helmet! I saw serious injury occur from people just tripping over a pavement, never mind what can happen when on a bike and hitting the ground with much more force.

I had no idea you could get car seats for 8 year olds with side impact - mine are much much older and the only seats available at that age was a booster seat to sit on. So I'm a bit out of date with that 👀

I think statically your child is more likely to be injured in the home than anywhere else

I know mummabubs it's scary when you see how devastating effects of injuries can be. They see me wear my helmet all the time, even over short distances!

Yeah he's in a britax advance fix, goes up to aged 12. Most of his friends are just in booster seats, but they'll be illegal by the end of the year and I suspect hos friends will just end up in nothing. My ds has even had a comment from his friend saying thay he is in a baby seat. But my ds doesn't care. He's safe & comfortable.

A boy at my school died due to a head injury that wouldn't have happened if he'd been wearing a helmet. No other car or person or vehicle involved. He slipped on wet cobbles, went over on his side, hit the left side of his head just between eye and ear and never woke up again. Tragic. Enough reason for me to encourage the use of helmets. An ex-bf had his life saved by his helmet (no other car or vehicle or person) went flying over his handlebars, helmet took all impact and crumbled apart.

Oh no ivy if ds makes the wrong decision about wearing his helmet then I will explain to him that he has to and the reasons why. I'm steering him to understand the risks.