Facts:

Nearly 690 children are injured daily due to bicycle-related crashes.

Apart from the automobile, bicycles are linked to more childhood injuries than any other consumer product. More children ages 5-14 are seen in hospital emergency rooms for injuries related to biking than any other sport.

As many at 85 percent of bicycle-related brain injuries could be prevented if bike riders were to wear protective helmets.

Children with brain injuries are more than three times as likely to require hospitalization, and almost six times more likely to have their injuries result in death.

Universal use of bicycle helmets by children ages 4 to 15 could prevent between 125-155 deaths, between 39,000 and 45,000 head injuries, and between 18,000 and 55,000 scalp and face injuries annually.

Helmet use can reduce the risk of concussion by 85 percent and severe brain injury by 88 percent.

Helmet And Bicycle Safety Tips:

Wear a Properly Fitted Helmet. A helmet must fit correctly to protect your head. Make sure it is adjusted and fits snug, especially around your forehead.

No baseball hats or bandanas. Helmets protect best when worn alone.

Replace helmets at the first sign of damage. Second-hand helmets should not be used. Even a tiny crack makes it useless.

Teach children how to adjust their helmets to fit properly.

Replace helmets at the first sign of damage.

Keep approved helmets near bikes and trikes so your children will always put them on.

Set an example by wearing your helmet every time you ride.

Adjust your bike to fit. While standing over your bike, there should be 1 to 2 inches between you and the top tube (bar). The seat should be level from front to back. The seat height should be adjusted to allow a slight bend at the knee of your extended leg. Your handlebars should be at the same level as your seat.

Inspect your bike to make sure it’s safe to ride. Check your tire pressures and inflate if necessary. Make sure your tires, seat and handlebars are secure and can’t be moved left, right, up or down. Make sure your brakes work well.

See and be seen. Wear bright or light colored clothing. Make sure your bike has reflectors on it. Avoid riding at night.

Control your bicycle. Always ride with at least one hand on the handlebars. Carry books and other items in a backpack. Watch your speed so you can slow down quickly if you need to.

Avoid road hazards. Be on the lookout for dog walkers, broken glass, gravel, leaves, potholes, parked cars (and doors opening from them) and pedestrians (walkers). Share the sidewalk with others — slow down and move to the right side before someone passes you. Don’t wear headphones or ear buds while riding — you need to hear well to ride safely.

Ride with the traffic flow. Stay on the right side of the road and ALWAYS be on the lookout for vehicles and pedestrians. Always pass on the left.

Obey all traffic signs and laws. Stop at stop signs, yield at yield signs and obey stoplights.

Yield to traffic when appropriate. Let vehicles go in front of you unless it’s safe to cross the street or enter traffic. Use hand signals when turning. Look behind and ahead frequently before and after turning. Watch out for cars turning in front of you and coming from driveways and streets; they may not see you. Slow down when rounding corners where you cannot see the road or path ahead.

ALWAYS WEAR A HELMET!