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 School Clinics Health Information

Safety at Play


The Facts 
  • Brain injury is the leading cause of sports- and recreation-related death.1
  • Children in early adolescence demonstrate less motor coordination for pedaling bicycles as well as differences in bone development that affect motor skills.
  • 11- to 14-year-olds may be reluctant to wear helmets. 2
  • Wearing a helmet when riding wheeled vehicles can reduce the risk of head injury by as much as 85 percent.2
  • Helmets cost approximately $12.00-$15.00.
  • Children who do not wear or use protective equipment are at greater risk of sustaining sports-related injuries.Pictures of protective gear
  • A $5 mouth guard can help reduce injury to the mouth, teeth, lips, cheeks and tongue.  Research shows that mouth guards reduce the risk of losing a tooth, potentially saving $10,000 to $15,000 in lifetime dental costs. 3
  • Children just beginning summer practices for organized sports are particularly vulnerable to suffering some form of heat illness such as dehydration or heat stroke.4
 Your Game Plan
  1.  Wear a properly fitting helmet when riding anything with wheels: bicycle, scooter, roller skates, in-line skates, rip sticks, etc.
  2. Actively supervise children at play.
  3. Don't let children ride bikes, skateboard or scooters in and around cars.
  4. Practice bike safety: learn the rules of the road, wear reflective clothes and stickers, and ride on sidewalks when possible.
  5. When riding wheeled vehicles, don’t wear ear phones that interfere with your ability to hear things around you.
  6. Maintain equipment properly.
  7. Check athletic grounds for hazards like rocks, holes or water.
  8. Always wear appropriate protective gear for the activity - for practice as well as games - and make sure it's the right size and properly adjusted.
  9. Make sure your child has a screening physical before playing sports.
  10. Make sure responsible adults know and enforce the safety rules of the sport, are present to provide supervision, and are trained in first aid and CPR.
  11. To prevent dehydration, make sure kids drink adequate liquids prior to, during and following athletic activities.
  12. Kids should receive adequate rest breaks during practice and games.

 
 
Data picture
 
 
 
 
Do you want some data to convince you that helmets are important?

 Statistics from the 

Fatality Facts: Bicycles - 2010 1

 
Cyclists killed: helmet use
 

 No helmet use      Helmet use      Unknown            Total
 Year Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number
 
 Percent
 

2009

573

91 

52

8

3

0

628

100

2010

429

70

94

15

93

15

616

 100

2011

450

67

100

15

125

19

675

 100
   
 
 
According to a study in Accident Analysis & Prevention April 20132 
 
Helmet use was associated with reduced risk of head injury in bicycle collisions with motor vehicles of up to 74%.
 

 

 

According to Thompson DC, Rivara F, Thompson R in their research article: 

  Wearing a helmet dramatically reduces the risk of head and facial injuries for bicyclists involved in a crash, even if it involves a motor vehicle 3

 
  • Helmets provide a 63 to 88% reduction in the risk of head, brain and severe brain injury for all ages of bicyclists. 
  • Helmets provide equal levels of protection for crashes involving motor vehicles (69%) and crashes from all other causes (68%). 
  • Injuries to the upper and mid facial areas are reduced 65%.
 
References:
  1. http://www.helmets.org/stats.htm#effectiveness Accessed 10/16/13
  2. Accident Analysis & Prevention; Volume 53, 1 April 2013, Pages 78–88: The effectiveness of helmets in bicycle collisions with motor vehicles: A case–control study.  Accessed 10/16/13

  3. http://summaries.cochrane.org/CD001855/wearing-a-helmet-dramatically-reduces-the-risk-of-head-and-facial-injuries-for-bicyclists-involved-in-a-crash-even-if-it-involves-a-motor-vehicle  Accessed 10/16/13.  Wearing a helmet dramatically reduces the risk of head and facial injuries for bicyclists involved in a crash, even if it involves a motor vehicle. Thompson DC, Rivara F, Thompson R; Published Online: January 21, 2009.


 Created 10/18/13

 




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