Bike helmet

[ImaMumtoaboy]

My 13 yr old is refusing to cycle to school because he doesn't want to wear a bike helmet.
None of his friends wear them. Very few in the school wear them. A lot of kids cycle and use electric scooters.
I get they are embarrassing to wear especially at that age and being the only one to do so.
Do your teens were helmets?
If not why not?

Same issue here. What’s worse is that a close relative had a really bad accident on a push bike and would have likely died if it wasn’t for their helmet. DS knows this and still refuses to wear one! He chooses to walk to school rather than be made to wear a helmet. I don’t understand it.

It mad isn't it. He knows and understands why we want him to wear it. His reply is his friends mother is a nurse and she doesn't make him wear one.
Your relative was blessed. I hope they recovered well.
DS school is a bit far to walk about 45 minutes especially when it's raining so I've been driving and collecting him. When he cycles.he is up and back in 15 minutes..

Mine wears his helmet - he’s 18. We cycle regularly and it’s never been a bone of contention. Do older kids at school wear helmets? Maybe the school could reinforce the message? I was knocked off a few years ago and was lucky I had a helmet.

I did know someone who died as his bike hit a bump, he was thrown off and wasn’t wearing a helmet. It was awful. I don’t know what the answer is though as you can’t reason with teenagers. I hope he will change his mind. Can you speak to the friend’s mum?

DD's school had a rule that you could only bring you bike onto the school site if you had a helmet on. Perhaps ask the school why they don't have a similar rule?

Surely though if he chooses not to bike he should suck up the longer walk rather than put you out?

Stop driving him!!

It might be a long walk, but that's his choice. He can use his bike. He just needs to wear a helmet if that's what you insist on. You can't make him want to wear it.

If he prefers to walk, let him walk

He has two options... wear the helmet, have more time. Or walk and spend more time commuting.

At the moment he's winning as he has a chauffeur.

i agree with others. Bike with the helmet or walk without it.

it just needs to be made law but cycle groups oppose this as it would probably result in a decrease in people cycling.

and I agree - ask school to enforce the message.

Trouble is, if none of his mates wear a helmet he’s not going to either once he’s out of your sight. The cycling equivalent of rolling up your skirt once you’re out the front door.

I don’t really know what you do about that one; teenagers are hard!

We are in a big mountain biking area and all the serious mountain bikers and BMXers at DS’s school wear them religiously, even for just going to school. Think the school has a rule about it too.

Cycle helmets are not as effective as you might think, and then only in limited situations, which is why there’s still no real consensus as to whether they should be worn or made compulsory.

No helmet no bike was the rule in my house. My dd valued her freedom so wore her helmet

Don't make him wear a helmet life is full of risk you don't bubblewrap him to cross a road. Can't you remember being a teenager you just want to fit in and not be called mushroom head

@MemorableTrenchcoat

rubbish - we know in a serious accident that they are not always going to make a difference but in many minor accidents they do, the paramedics told my brother his helmet, which split in a traffic collision, saved his life. More substantial helmets are even better but they balance weight, ventilation etc with effectiveness (I have a motorcycle and have a full face race standard helmet for that but not practical for pedal bikes)

We all bike, and my teens all wear helmets. No question.

They aren't as magic as people like to believe, but having come off my bike myself, I do know how valuable they are in cushioning the head. We have the MIPS ones.

They’re effective in preventing head injuries in single vehicle accidents aka falling off your bike. Which is the type of accident that a school kid is most likely to be involved in.

Of course they do fuck all in accidents involving motor vehicles but they do prevent a banged head, especially when fooling about hopping kerbs and popping wheelies as school kids are wont to do. Even on the road they help in single vehicle accidents (hitting potholes, losing control on mud/ice etc).

It’s not rubbish at all, there is no consensus, and this is well-documented.

So with this kind of thinking , don't make him wear a seat belt , let him smoke , let him meet up with friends or strangers in the park at midnight.
🙄

@ImaMumtoaboy , many years ago when helmets were a new thing I wore mine .
I cycled home from work , had a car pull out of a side road right infront of me so I hit him. ( so not a high speed crash )
Amongst other things I had a broken coller bone and fractured skull, my helmet was almost split in two.
I was unconscious for several hours.
Docs said without the helmet I would of died or had serious brain injury.

Seat belts and smoking underage are laws not wearing a helmet isn't. I think life is about risk vs benefit he's more likely to get bullied which leads to low self esteem which leads to mental illness which leads to suicide by wearing a helmet then the tiny risk of dying from a head injury from cycling around your local area unless his school is at the top of a mountain