Ask The Expert: Bike Helmets Protect Against Brain Injury

March is not only the official start of spring, but is Brain Injury Awareness Month as well, making it the perfect time to get outdoors and also learn about injury prevention.

The statistics are staggering – nearly 362,000 children under 14 years of age are injured annually in bicycle-related incidents, and 200 of them are killed. Non-helmeted riders are 14 times more likely to be involved in a fatal crash than those wearing helmets.

It’s important to take the time to follow these simple instructions to make sure your bicycle helmet does the job it’s designed to do. The fact is, a helmet can’t protect you from a head injury if it doesn’t fit. I would change this to an affirmative statement instead i.e. A helmet, worn and fitted correctly, can protect you from a head injury.

1. Measure. Measure the bike rider’s head before buying a helmet. Do not buy a helmet by age. Measure the head (in centimeters) an inch or two above eyebrow, where the helmet will sit. Take that measurement to the store and buy a helmet closest to that measurement.
2. Level. Place the helmet comfortably on the head and make sure both left and right straps fit around the ears. Each strap buckle should be located approximately one adult finger below the earlobe.
3. Too Loose. If the rider can put more than two of their fingers between their chin and the strap, the helmet is too loose.
4. Snug. Some helmets have a button to turn; others have a buckle in the back. Adjust the helmet so it is snug but still allows the rider to comfortably talk, eat, and drink.
5. Two Fingers. Two of the rider’s fingers measure the correct space between the helmet and their eyebrow.
6. Stable. The helmet should not slide around when the rider moves their head.

Cindy Magnole is the injury prevention coordinator at Jackson Memorial Hospital, and a registered nurse in the Chaplin Family Pediatric Emergency Room at Holtz Children’s Hospital. She is also chair of the Miami-Dade County Injury Prevention Coalition. Cindy can be contacted at [email protected].