On average, more than 40 Albertans visit emergency departments for bike-related injuries every day during biking season. A helmet acts like a shock absorber in bike falls and collisions. As the helmet is impacted, the polystyrene inside the helmet crushes and dissipates the energy, so the skull and brain are saved from most of the impact.
By law, all cyclists under 18 years of age must wear an approved bicycle helmet. The law applies to both riders and passengers, including children in bicycle trailers.
Tips for proper bike helmet fitting:
Place the helmet on the head and make sure it is level from front to back. The helmet must sit one or two finger widths (about three centimetres) above the eyebrows.
Make sure the helmet fits snugly. Do not buy a bigger helmet for children, thinking they will grow into the helmet. The helmet should not move when the cyclist nods or shakes her head. Adjust the straps to form a “V” just below and in front of the earlobes.
Do up the chinstrap and adjust it so that you can only fit the width of one finger between the cyclist’s chin and the chinstrap. Make sure the helmet can only be removed by undoing the chin straps.
A bicycle helmet must not be worn with a baseball cap underneath – a cap could interfere with the helmet’s effectiveness on impact.
Replace your helmet at least every five years even if it has not been in a crash. A helmet that has been in a crash must be replaced immediately even if it does not appear to be damaged.
Research shows bicycle helmets reduce the risk of brain injury by more than 85 per cent.
Each year, AHS, local police departments and safety agencies host a series of bike rodeos in communities across the South Zone of AHS. At the rodeos, parents and children not only learn some basic riding skills and safety practices but also how to properly fit bike helmets. Please go to www.albertahealthservices.ca/south-zone.asp and click on the Events link for dates times and locations of bike rodeos in your area.
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