Bicycle Helmets Make Headway With Kids

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission recently released two surveys--one documenting hazards in child-care settings, the other tracking bike-helmet usage.

The good news: 50% of bicyclists surveyed last year said they wore helmets, up from just 18% in 1991. The biggest improvement occurred among children under age 16. Almost 70% now say they wear helmets regularly.

Bike crashes kill about 900 people a year and send about 567,000 people to hospital emergency rooms, the CPSC said. Three of every five deaths result from head injuries.

Since helmets reduce the risk of head injuries by about 85%, increased usage means fewer bikers’ melons are getting bruised, agency officials said.

The CPSC attributed the change to public education campaigns, a new generation of better-looking, more comfortable helmets and state laws requiring riders to sport protective head gear.

Californians, who love to feel the breeze rippling through their locks and loathe being told what to do, reluctantly passed a helmet law in 1994. It is illegal for minors to ride without head protection.