Not letting my child ride/scooter without helmet, but I seem to be the only one AIBU?

[WearTheHelmet]

DD is 9, Year 5.

She likes to ride her bike or scooter but has recently refused if I make her wear her helmet. Like as in if I offer it she’ll say “Can I do it without my helmet?” and when I say no she says “Then I’m not going to be the only one doing it with one so no”.

I’ve noticed on the school run, Key Stage 1 and younger (so Years 2 and below) all wear helmets but once they get to year 3/Key Stage 2 they seem to stop, I haven’t seen anyone else in DDs year/class wearing one for years.

I always think it’s safer and part of the school run is along a fast B road where the cars ignore the 20 mile an hour zone around school times and drive down at 50+ (there have been a couple of fatal accidents along the road involving pedestrians, none involving children but still it’s a risk).

So AIBU? And if not how do I persuade DD it’s in her interests to use her helmet?

My DS would be dead if he hadn’t been wearing a helmet when he had a bad skateboarding accident.

He broke his arm but would have been fatal if helmet (completely cracked) hadn’t protected him.

She doesn't go very fast on the scooter or do tricks.
She goes faster on her bike.

Ds18 was 3 when he came off his bike, completely smashed the front part of his helmet in, luckily no injuries, but dread to think what would have happened if he didn’t have one on.

Always insisted on a helmet with scooter and bike. Was a non negotiable. DS skidded on an ash type car park, frictions burns, holes in clothes and a cracked helmet- he was 10 and absolutely fine. Hate to think about no helmet xx

What roolz though? There’s no law. A polystyrene helmet isn’t much use if you’re crushed under a truck. I’m a regular cyclist and always wear a helmet as when I’ve come off it’s either the surface of the road/track/path or a pedestrian hopping out or doing something unexpected. I’ve had concussion from avoiding a pedestrian jumping out in front of me, helmet completely busted, torn clothes, bruising all down my back but could have been so much worse.

My kid at age 4 clipped the edge of a manhole cover on a cycle path (why are they there? He didn’t have the experience to avoid it yet. I was right there he flipped straight over, eyes rolled up in his head. Terrifying. Helmet was dented and after he got checked out in A&E turned out he’d had a shock but wasn’t even concussed.

Helmets have always been non negotiable in our house on scooters, skateboards, skiing. Bikes. Basically anything where you’re liable to fall at some speed. Kid in secondary school now and still wears it. But I respect the right of grown adults to choose not to. Not a risk I’d take myself.

But as a parent I will make sure my child wears protection while he builds up the skills and experience he needs to make his own personal safety decisions. Until then I choose. No lid? You’re walking.

Rule 59 of the Highway Code suggests you should wear a helmet although it's not compulsory.
But it's just a general attitude now that telling people what they should do to keep safe, well or to respect others is somehow taking away their freedom.
Just one of the joys that covid brought us

No helmet then no bike or scooter here. It’s your job to keep them safe. Show you DD some crash injuries and hopefully she will get it

No helmet?
No bikes/scooter/skates/skateboard.

My friend goes allover the world cycling with her husband. She brought his helmet in to school one day and the kids were guessing where he'd had an accident. Helmet was trashed and had he not been wearing it he would be dead. He was coming out of their path at very low speed and slipped off the kerb. Freak accident that could have killed him.

A bike is not more dangerous than a scooter because its the fall that's the issue.

Haven't read full thread but YANBU

DD was taking part in scooter club at primary on the playground (Helmets essential). Her scooter hit a stone, stopped and she went over handle bars.
She was scraped with grazes, down top of her face (helmet took impact) came loose, all down her shoulders then back of arms.
If she hadn't had helmet, it would have been a lot worse.
Apparently she went in to shock and they gave her lemonade. The club was run by headteacher who didn't call me but looked very sheepish telling me after school 😡

It doesn't really matter. A fall from a scooter can be as catastrophic as a fall from a bike. Not worth the risk.

Think @farmfoodsqueen got the trifecta there "always watching" "boys will be boys" "all part of growing up"... Only missing "it never did me any harm" lol

I think people aren’t convinced they make as much difference as they do. If your on wheels and you fall and hit your head you could get a brain injury or worse so it - no helmet no wheels in our house too. Mine don’t need convincing after seeing my son bounce his head of the ground one day - the shattered helmet could have been his head.

No helmet, no wheels for us, too.

I'm in my late 30s and I remember not wearing a helmet when I was a teen and cycled to school - my mum did try and get me to wear a helmet, but I remember thinking they weren't cool. I cycled around everywhere as a uni student and have a feeling I didn't wear a helmet then either However, I have become more sensible as I've got older, and now I have children, I always wear a helmet - partly because I want to be a good example to them and also because I'm painfully aware that they need me not to die or have a life-changing injury! I couldn't care less about being cool now.

I really hope my kids will be confident enough in themselves to wear helmets without caring whether they're cool or not. Hopefully it'll just be habit by the time I have less say in the matter!