Helmets as a Safety Feature on Bicycles

At the carwash in Irvine the other day, five out of the six boys checking their bike-tire pressure--the boys were between those peer-pressure-critical ages of 12 and 15--were wearing bike helmets.

Back in Newport Beach, my own almost 12- and 14-year-old children are still in the “No way, Mom” stage regarding bike helmets, but I’m not about to give up!

I applaud the efforts of the Irvine Police Department, using voice-activated “Motorcycle Mike” to instruct school kids, and of Councilwoman Paula Werner and her aide, Katherine Lyon, in promoting the message regarding bike safety. Seeing those boys with helmets firmly in place at the carwash is proof that Irvine’s efforts are working.

There seem to be two keys to kids’ helmet use: catching them early (My 9-year-old now wears a helmet, partly to show up her older brother and sister), and knowing of a young biker who has died because he or she thought it wasn’t cool to wear a helmet.

(A tragic death has been the spur to many community efforts to get kids to wear a “kid-lid.”)

All the evidence shows that bike helmets can prevent 85% of all head injuries, so parents would be well-advised to insist that their children become “head-smart” and wear a helmet. Parents, don’t let kids leave home (on their bikes or roller blades) without one.

Look for Sprocket-Man to visit the Newport Beach schools this fall. In conjunction with Police Officer Tom Gazsi’s Bike Rodeo, he will outline the eight rules for bike safety.

Let’s all continue to pass the word: Be head smart! Wear a helmet! KAREN EVARTS Newport Beach