Bike Helmet Safety

Last week I took my grandson into the local bike shop to purchase his first bike helmet. He is four years old and his Auntie had just given him his first bike for Christmas.  He was anxious to start practicing, but that would need to wait until a proper fitting helmet was covering his little noggin.  

Many reliable studies show that appropriate bicycle helmets worn by young children significantly reduce the risk of head injury in case of fall. There is no federal law in the United States that requires a child to wear bicycle helmets, but many individual states have passed laws to address this hazard. The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) does regulate the performance requirements for bike helmets (16 CFR 1203), so when you choose a helmet for your youngster, you’ll want to be sure that it is labeled for compliance to this 16 CFR 1203 standard. Every bicycle helmet must come with instructions explaining how to assure a proper fit and how to wear it properly. The instructions should have a picture showing the correct way to wear the helmet. When in doubt, take your child and the helmet to the local bike shop and ask them to show you exactly how to adjust the helmet to best fit your child. 


 Proper Helmet Fit

Toddler Bike Helmets (for children under 5 years old) should include extended coverage, as specified by the 16 CFR1203 CPSC Bike Helmet Safety regulation.  Extended coverage is an extension of the thick foam inside the hard shell, that covers the ears and vulnerable back of neck of a toddler.


Toddler Bike Helmets

While CPSC strongly urges the use of bike helmets while riding a bike, they also warn that children should NOT wear bike helmets when playing off the bike, particularly on playgrounds. Sadly, there have been strangulation deaths, injuries and child-related incidents involving bike helmets used on climbing playground equipment and trees.

It’s best to sit down with your young child and talk about why the helmet is important, and when it is important to take the helmet off.  Children as young as four years old can begin to understand this. Starting these safe riding habits early will help reduce the risk of injury later.