Aibu to wonder whether most parents insist their children wear helmets when on bikes and scooters?

[Pl242]

I’m curious on views on this.

We have always insisted both our kids (5 and 2.5) wear helmets when on their bikes and scooters.

Our 5yo is in year 1 and has just started to cycle to school. The bike is stored at school and we have been taking the helmet home and bringing it back at pick up. Mostly just as we thought it might easily get lost.

We had noticed that a fair amount, in fact probably the majority of kids who we see on bikes and scooters around school, don’t wear helmets. This surprised us a bit but obviously none of our business as to what decisions other parents make.

However now our 5yo has told us that they’re allowed to cycle around the playground at playtime and also at the after school club she attends at least one afternoon a week. This isn’t a surprise but hadn’t crossed our minds really. She told us about it in the context of a new after school club friend in the year above her who she says doesn’t wear a helmet. This prompted us to tell her that our rule is that she always needs to wear a helmet when cycling and that we would start to leave the helmet with her and her bike at school. She accepted this but obviously we won’t be there to enforce that and she did seem a bit confused/upset as to why she has to and her friend doesn’t etc. We just reinforced our view again.

I don’t want to come off as precious. It’s not as if we’re hugely worried of the risk of her having a serious bike accident in the playground. It’s just that we want to be consistent on helmet wearing. And I know that I can and should direct any specific concerns about bike use at school to the school.

It’s just that this situation prompted me to wonder whether we’re in the minority here or not. Interested in views and if you want to vote I suppose the possible answers are:

YANBU- most parents insist on helmet wearing
YABU - most parents don’t see helmet wearing as important.

Bikes yes always

Scooters we used to when they were smaller but not so much now (DC are 6 and 8)

I do, but I do notice that more don't than do...
Stick to your rules. My 19 year old never had a bike after age 10, because he wouldn't wear a helmet when no one else did. So I said that's fine, but no bike...

I do think cycling round the playground is quite different from the cycle to and from school though

Bikes yes. Scooter not so much (Ds is 7)

No helmet no wheels. Bike ability insists on helmets too.

(By cycling around playground... I've only ever seen trikes. If they are letting them loose on their actual bikes on the playground with lots of kids running around...)

Most parents around here insist on helmet wearing. The only reason DS1 isn't wearing a helmet on his scooter at the moment is because I need to buy him another one... he is 6.5 though and I agree with previous posters that on a scooter it's a little less risky

I'm amazed that any school is allowing kids to cycle in the playground at play time! Accidents are bound to happen, and the chaos over sharing bikes, or not sharing just doesn't bare thinking about! I am also surprised that the school allow it without helmets being worn, and without consent from the parents.

But yes, DCs always wore helmets on bikes. Didn't on scooters.

Bike, yes absolutely. And my 15 year old doesn't argue about it because in his wardrobe is the remains of his cycling helmet from his accident 2 years ago. One look at the amount of energy that it took out (5cm deformation at the front, fractured right round to the back) and you know how lucky he was to just have been concussed for a week. He tells everyone they are stupid not to wear one, and his accident was 3 minutes from home on a route he cycles every day.

If they are just riding around at the park etc, then I don't force them to wear it.

When they go out on the cycle path or road, when they are going faster and encountering other vehicles, then yes I do insist on them wearing one.

I actually think scooters are more risky than bikes. If scooter hits a tiny ledge in the pavement (1cm or so), it can tip forward at speed and the child's face & forehead go straight into the pavement. I've seen it happen and it is v scary.

For a kid on a bike, a fall on pavement is likely to be sideways where the handlebars / arms can break the fall. the danger there is from cars, which can be solved by staying on bikelanes or pavements.

Yes to bikes and scooters. We always had our DC wear helmets and DH and I also always wear a helmet. Adults are not immune to head injury/traumatic brain injury, so it is important to model correct safety practices in front of your children. Sadly, many parents who do have young children wear helmets, do not wear helmets themselves and then get lazy about it when the child is older.

My SIL was in a cycling accident where she was hit by a hit and run driver. If she had not been wearing her helmet, she would have instantly been killed.

The BBC new recently reported a review of the helmet law regarding e-scooters that only travel at 15mph after a young teenager fell off one and died due to a completely avoidable head injury.

Helmets when on bikes or scooters should be viewed as important as a seatbelt in a car. Everyone should always wear one. Even if not on a road...just falling over from standing at 0mph and hitting your head on concrete is enough to give you life changing injury. Not worth the risk.

Yes to be fair I need to clarify what is actually allowed at school re bike riding. I’m fully aware that my 5yo cannot be judged to be a reliable source! It was just that the situation prompted me to wonder whether we’re in the minority or not with our views on helmets.

DS is 18 so it’s a long time ago now. I remember he always wore a helmet on his bike. He only really rode his scooter at the park or in the garden so I don’t recall him bothering- could be wrong though 😂

Only shit parents would allow a 5-year-old child to cycle without a helmet - YANBU at all, head injuries can be fatal or result in life-changing injuries.

Round here: bikes yes, scooters no

Honestly if my kids scoot to the playground, I reckon the main bit were they would benefit from a helmet is whilst on the play equipment.... kiddy scooter isn't any faster or wobblier than running

Absolutely helmets at any time on wheels. Head injuries ruin lives.

I want to add OP, even if you are minority view and most parents in your area don’t insist on helmets, that doesn’t make you wrong or precious or OTT at all. I’ve had to explain to my DC numerous times why they must wear a helmet and that just because a friend doesn’t have to, or sneaks their helmet off doesn’t mean we are in the wrong.

Bike yes, scooter no.

To all those saying they feel older kids are safer on scooters, why is this? I still insist my 12yo wears a helmet when he is 'on' wheels of any kind, and will do so for as long as he lives in my home. It's just not worth the risk.

When my boys biked to primary I always made them wear helmets. We once saw a boy come off his bike on the way. Luckily he seemed alright but he had no helmet on. I told the teacher on the gate just in case he didn’t tell anyone and then an injury became more obvious later in the day. I said I was surprised so few kids wore helmets (I think my two were the only ones) and the teacher said as it was quite a poor area they couldn’t insist as so few would own them. I thought they could say ‘no helmet, no cycling to school’ but obviously it wasn’t up to me.

If you are outside the garden on a scooter or a bike my kids know: no helmet, no riding. End of.

That includes DC who is only just 2. They have never ever ridden anything with wheels outside without wearing a helmet.

@DeepaBeesKit

If you are outside the garden on a scooter or a bike my kids know: no helmet, no riding. End of.

That includes DC who is only just 2. They have never ever ridden anything with wheels outside without wearing a helmet.

Exactly this.

It’s the law where I live. You can be fined if your child or someone in your care (or yourself), is not wearing a helmet on a bike or scooter. I think it may also be needed for skateboarding also but I’m not certain on that and could well be wrong. It’s sensible and when the law came in (decades ago now) there was an ad campaign along the lines of ‘if you don’t need a head, you don’t need a helmet’.

www.cyclist.co.uk/in-depth/1365/is-it-safer-to-wear-a-helmet-when-cycling

It's more complicated than most people think. Helmets might actually make you more likely to be involved in a collision and there's no evidence that they help in collisions with cars. Head injury rates in Australia didn't change when helmets became mandatory for cyclists, and head injury rates are very low in Holland where almost no one wears a helmet to cycle.

BTW Bikeability absolutely do not insist on helmets. It's a choice on the consent form.

Shit parent here!

My 6 and 7 year cycle on the pavement or round the park without a helmet.