# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Wearing a bicycle helmet may not seem like the cool thing to do, but if you want to protect yourself, wearing a bicycle helmet every time that you ride your bike is essential. Here are ten reasons to wear a bike helmet.

1. Protect Your Head and Brain

Injuries to the head are one of the main causes of death and traumatic brain injury for cyclists in traffic accidents. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, bicycle helmets are 85 to 88 percent effective in mitigating head and brain injuries. This fact makes helmets the single most effective way to reduce your risk of a traumatic brain injury or death.

2. Improve Your Ability to See

When the weather is less than ideal, and precipitation is part of your bike ride, a helmet can improve your capacity to see other drivers on the road, as well as potential hazards, by keeping water or snow out of your eyes (when the helmet has a visor). On the same note, a helmet with a visor can also help to shade your face, improving your vision by mitigating the effects of sunlight in your eyes.

3. You'll Be Following the Law

There is no over-arching state law in Washington that mandates cyclists to wear a helmet. However, there are some local ordinances-such as one in Bellevue-that require all or certain riders to wear a helmet.

4. Set an Example for Your Children

If you are a parent, wearing a helmet is not only necessary for your health and safety, but also for that of your kids. By enforcing the use of helmets with your home, you can save your life and the life of your child. According to The Children's Safety Network, in 2005, children under the age of 15 accounted for 53 percent of bicycle injuries treated in emergency room departments. When finding a bicycle helmet for a child, make sure it fits!

In addition to setting an example for your children, wearing a helmet can also help to encourage helmet use amongst others.

5. Keep Your Head Warm and Dry

If you are bike riding at a time of year when the weather is wet or chilly, a bicycle helmet can help to keep your head nice and dry. In turn, this can contribute to trapping escaping heat from your body, aiding in keeping you warm and comfortable while riding.

6. Improve Your Visibility for Others on the Road

Not only will a helmet help to improve your visibility (i.e. help you be able to see others), but wearing a helmet can also contribute to make you more visible to other drivers. When choosing a helmet, opt for a brightly colored one. Or, add reflective tape to your helmet to help drivers to see you when it is dark out.

Not only does a helmet protect your brain and your head, but it can also protect your face, too. While it is uncommon for facial injuries to be fatal, they can be extremely painful, disfiguring, and cost thousands of dollars' worth of medical intervention to correct.

8. Avoid High Medical Bills

If you are in a bike accident, and you are not wearing a helmet, your risk of having gigantic medical bills is much higher. These medical bills might not only be immediate-i.e. emergency room costs, costs of emergency surgeries, etc.-but also long-lasting. If you suffer a brain injury, you may be unable to function on your own for the remainder of your life, or may require intensive and long-term therapy, which can be costly.

Wearing a helmet does not have to be an unattractive or bland thing to do; you can show off your personal style by choosing a helmet that fits your personality, or adding stickers, decals, etc. to it. To incentivize your children to wear their helmets, let them choose their color, design, etc. as well.

10. Reduce Your Risk of Being Found Partially At-fault in a Claim for Damages

Even if you believe that a bike accident was the fault of the other driver, if you were not wearing a helmet at the time of your crash, the other party may try to pin partial fault of the accident, and your related injuries, on you. You can mitigate this risk before it happens by always wearing your helmet.

To learn more about what to do after a bicycle accident and your legal rights in Washington State, contact a bicycle accident attorney at Max Meyers Law PLLC. Call today at 425-242-5595 to schedule a consultation.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Wearing a bicycle helmet may not seem like the cool thing to do, but if you want to protect yourself, wearing a bicycle helmet every time that you ride your bike is essential. Here are ten reasons to wear a bike helmet.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Riding a bike is an excellent way for people of all ages to get some exercise and get around in an environmentally friendly way. However, when not done safely, bike riding can potentially be very dangerous. The simple fact of the matter is that even the most experienced, most cautious bicyclists can still get into accidents and get hurt. It's estimated that the average cautious rider will still crash at least once every 4,500 miles they ride. Injuries caused by bicycle accidents send more kids between the ages of 5 and 14 to the emergency room than injuries from any other sport.

Wearing a helmet goes a long way in protecting riders from serious brain injuries, reducing the risk by up to 88%. There is no greater way to reduce fatalities related to bicycle accidents. Head injuries are responsible for 75% of all deaths related to bicycle accidents, but only 21 states and Washington D.C. have laws regarding helmet use for bicyclists and most of those only cover helmet use for minors, not adults. Michigan is one of the states that does not have any laws regarding bicycle helmet usage.

Even if you aren't legally required to wear a bicycle helmet, you always should wear one while riding, even if you aren't planning on going far. Helmets protect wearers by helping to absorb the energy from a sharp impact. To do this, bike helmets typically have a layer of expanded polystyrene (EPS) or expanded polypropylene (EPP) foam between the outer shell and the wearer's head. EPS is the most widely used type of foam in helmets, which offers good protection, but once it is crushed in an accident, it can't be uncrushed and it's no longer able to offer the protection it had before. The damage might not be visible, but it is there. Because of this, it is important for helmets to be replaced after being in an accident that involves a bump to the head, even if it seems minor.

The costs of bicyclists not wearing helmets can be astronomical. It's estimated that every dollar spent on helmets saves $30 in medical costs and other costs to society. If 85% of child riders wore helmets while riding for one year, it would save between $109 million and $142 million in lifetime medical costs.

The good news is you don't need to spend a lot of money to get a bicycle helmet that offers good protection. The Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute sent six different types of bicycle helmets, three costing $20 or less and three costing $150 and over, to be tested to measure how well they were able to protect wearers from blows to the head. Their results found that the cheap helmets and the more expensive helmets offered virtually identical protection, however the more expensive helmets tended to have extra comfort features such as extra vents.

If you have a child learning to ride a bike, the best thing you can do to encourage helmet usage is to wear one yourself. Kids are more likely to wear helmets when riding a bikes with older people who are also wearing helmets.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Why You Should Always Wear a Helmet While Riding a BikeWhy You Should Always Wear a Helmet While Riding a Bike

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Riding a bike is an excellent way for people of all ages to get some exercise and get around in an environmentally friendly way. However, when not done safely, bike riding can potentially be very dangerous. The simple fact of the matter is that even the most experienced, most cautious bicyclists can still get into accidents and get hurt.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
It's a beautiful day - what could be more perfect than a bike ride? But wait! Before you pull your bike out of the garage, let's find out how to stay safe.

Why Is Bike Safety So Important?

Bike riding is a lot of fun, but accidents happen. Every year, lots of kids need to see their doctor or go to the emergency room because of bike injuries.

Why Should Kids Wear a Bike Helmet?

Wearing a helmet that fits well every time you're on a bike helps protect your face, head, and brain if you fall. That's why it's so important to wear your bike helmet whenever you are on a bike.

Bike helmets are so important that the U.S. government has created safety rules for them. Your helmet should have a sticker that says it meets the rules set by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). If your helmet doesn't have a CPSC sticker, ask your parent about getting you one that does.

Wear a bike helmet every time you ride, even if you're going for a short ride. And follow these rules:

Make sure your bike helmet fits you well.

Always wear your helmet the right way so it will protect you: Make sure it covers your forehead and don't let it tip back. Always fasten the straps.

Don't wear a hat under your helmet.

Take care of your helmet and don't throw it around. If it's damaged, it won't protect you as well when you need it.

Get a new helmet if you fall while you're on your bike and hit your head.

Put reflective stickers on your helmet so drivers can see you better.

What's the Right Bike for Me?

Riding a bike that is the right size for you helps to keep you safe. If you go to a bike store, ask the people who work there to help you get the right fit. In general, your feet should easily touch the ground as you sit on the seat and your legs shouldn't be too bent when you pedal.

Making a safety checklist is important. Ask your parent for help:

Make sure your seat, handlebars, and wheels fit tightly.

Check and oil your chain regularly.

Check your brakes to be sure they work well and aren't sticking.

Check your tires to make sure they have enough air and the right amount of tire pressure.

What Should I Wear When I Ride My Bike?

Wearing bright clothes and putting reflectors on your bike also can help you stay safe. It helps other people on the road see you. And if they see you, that means they're less likely to run into you.

You'll also want to make sure that nothing will get caught in your bike chain, such as loose pant legs, backpack straps, or shoelaces.

Wear the right shoes - sneakers - when you bike. Sandals, flip-flops, shoes with heels, and cleats won't help you grip the pedals. And never go riding barefoot!

Riding gloves may help you grip the handlebars - and make you look like a professional!

Don't use music devices that could distract you from noises around you, such as a car blowing its horn so you can get out of the way.

Don't text or use a cellphone while riding. You need to watch where you're going and look out for cars, people, and other bikes.

Where Is it Safe to Ride My Bike?

You need to check with your mom or dad about:

where you're allowed to ride your bike

how far you're allowed to go

whether you should ride on the sidewalk or in the street. Kids younger than 10 years should ride on the sidewalk and avoid the street.

common things that can get in the way like rocks, children or pets, and big puddles

No matter where you ride, daytime riding is the safest. So try to avoid riding your bike once it starts getting dark.

And always keep an eye out for cars and trucks. Even if you're just riding on the sidewalk, a car may pull out of its driveway into the path of your bike. When you cross a busy road, walk your bike across the street.

What Road Rules Should I Know?

If you're allowed to ride on the street, follow these road rules:

Always ride with your hands on the handlebars.

Always stop and check for traffic in both directions when leaving your driveway, an alley, or a curb.

Cross at intersections. When you pull out between parked cars, drivers can't see you coming.

Walk your bike across busy intersections using the crosswalk and following traffic signals.

Ride on the right-hand side of the street, so you travel in the same direction as cars do. Never ride against traffic.

Use bike lanes wherever you can.

Don't ride too close to parked cars. Doors can open suddenly.

Stop at all stop signs and obey traffic (red) lights just as cars do.

Ride single-file on the street with friends.

When passing other bikers or people on the street, always pass to their left side, and call out "On your left!" so they know that you are coming.

How Do I Signal My Turns?

Hand signals are like turn signals and brake lights for bikers. It helps cars and trucks know what you will do next so they don't run into you. Don't change directions or lanes without first looking behind you, and always use the correct signals.

Use your left arm for all signals:

Left turn: After checking behind you, hold your arm straight out to the left and ride forward slowly.

Stop: After checking behind you, bend your elbow, pointing your arm downward in an upside down "L" shape and come to a stop.

Right turn: After checking behind you, bend your elbow, holding your arm up in an "L" shape, and ride forward slowly. (Or, hold your right arm straight out from your side.)

Now that you've learned those hand signals, you get a big thumbs-up for finding out more about bike safety!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Bike Safety (for Kids) - Nemours KidsHealth

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Some simple rules can keep you safe on two wheels. Lean more about bike riding in this article for kids.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
This informative article about helmet safety is just another example of how critical it is for all of us to wear a helmet when we ride! Always remember to protect your head and make sure that kids' helmets are the correct size and are secured properly. To encourage helmet use, Project ReCycle provides a helmet for every student that earns their bike in our Dream Bike program, because safety is of utmost importance. This coming May Dream Bike will be handing out 490 new helmets at six different Title-1 schools, along with the students' refurbished bikes they've earned through school, a bike lock and a pair of safety lights! Safety is a community effort, so please help Project ReCycle support safe riding, ALWAYS WEAR A HELMET!

Wearing a helmet is an often-contested topic among cyclists. Many argue that a helmet protects your head from serious injuries, while others claim that a helmet doesn't do anything and actually makes cyclists ride recklessly. If you don't always wear a helmet, here are some top reasons to reconsider the decision:

1. You Reduce the Risk of Head Injury

An Australian study found that wearing a helmet dramatically reduced the risk of both serious and minor head injuries among cyclists. Here's exactly how much the study found helmets lower your risk of head injury:

51% less chance of head injuries

69% less chance of serious head injuries

65% less chance of fatal head injuries

This study is one of the most recent looks at bicycle helmets and serious brain injuries. Additionally, a Reuters study found similar results, with helmet users having a 52% lower risk of a severe traumatic brain injury and a 44% lower chance of death overall.

2. You Can See, Motorists See You

Most bicycle helmets come with some kind of visor that protects your eyes from the sun or the glair of other cars. Additionally, a light-colored helmet can help motorists or pedestrians see you in the road.

A NCBI study on helmet use among motorcycle users found that riders who opted to wear a white helmet had helmet had a 24% lower risk of being hit by cars. White isn't the only color that stands out-the same study found that any "light" colored helmet reduced crash chances by 18%. While cycling certainly isn't the same as riding a motorcycle, additional helmet visibility should still make a big difference.

3. You Set a Good Example

All too often we see parents riding with their children on bicycles-the children are wearing helmets, the parents are not. When you wear a helmet you're making a statement, showing that you care about cycling safety and protecting the lives of youth riders for generations to come.

Helmet Isn't Comfortable?

If your helmet is uncomfortable, it's likely you're wearing a helmet that doesn't fit or a helmet that's the wrong style for your preferred method of cycling. A helmet that comes down over your eyebrows or slides down to your lower neck, it's too big. Helmets that are too small won't fit completely over your head and won't really protect you in the instance of a crash. Measure your head to know what size helmet you should buy. Some brands may have different sizes, but for the most part sizing is standard across the board.

A helmet is an inexpensive piece of equipment that could save your life one day!
*This article was created by Personal Injury Help (www.personalinjury-law.com), however this article is not intended to be legal advice nor should it be construed as such. Be sure to look up your local cycling ordinances to see if you're legally required to wear a helmet!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Reasons to Wear a Helmet While Cycling | Project ReCycle

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
This informative article about helmet safety is just another example of how critical it is for all of us to wear a helmet when we ride! Always remember to protect your head and make sure that kids' helmets are the correct size and are secured properly.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Buying a bicycle helmets for kids can be annoying because it prevents their hair from flipping against the wind - a cool feeling for them and it's a little bit heavy and sometimes uncomfortable and sometimes parents let their kids get away with it. This is because they do not see the importance of wearing a bicycle helmet. To know the risk of biking without a head gear, more than 700 bicycle riders are killed in the United States every year mostly due to car collisions and 75% of them die of head injuries. Those thousands others who are deemed lucky only suffered scrapes and broken bones while there are others who suffered debilitating injuries that are far more worse than the physical ones. If a biker didn't die from a head injury, most likely, he or she will suffer other consequences like permanent personality changes, learning disabilities, concentration disabilities, balance problems and severe headaches - all of which can be avoided if only the biker's head was protected.

Bicycle helmets can protect your child by reducing the risk of head injury by 85% and reducing the risk of brain injury by 88%. Wearing a bicycle helmet also prevents bicycle related deaths in children by 75%. Parents should require their children to wear their bicycle helmets every time they would hop on their bike even if it's just a short ride. Accidents happen and it should not be risked. The US government requires bikers to wear helmets because of this risk and the big number of accidents and deaths. Due to this, they have created safety standards for bicycle helmets. The helmet you will buy should have a sticker that says it meets the standards by the Consumer Product Commission (CPSC). Outside the US, there are also standards stickers such as the European CEN standard or the Australian AUS standard.

Aside from picking a helmet with those standards, you should also carefully pick the right fit. Buying a helmet for kids that is too large or too small defeats its purpose as it won't give 100% protection. Check the helmet if it has a pinch-proof buckles and make sure to try it on your kid. Adjust the straps and the pads and see if it's firm. Also ask the child if it is comfortable so the child would love wearing it. Some helmet manufacturers placed retention systems at the back of the helmets to prevent it from pushing backwards and exposing the forehead and there are available locking clips on the side straps for greater fit and protection. Ask the store personnel from a reputable bicycle shop for more help.

Parents should also wear their own helmets not only for their own protection but also for their children. A study found that if parents wear their helmets, 98% of kids also wear helmets. The number drops to 30% if parents don't so make sure to act as a role model to them.

Helmets could be bought around $15 up in discount stores and $30 up in bike shops. Again, take the time to ensure you get the best quality and fit. After getting back home with the new helmet, your child can personalize it better by putting designs and stickers. However, putting in reflective stickers is a plus as it makes the child more visible to drivers especially at night. A helmet should be replaced if you do fall down and the helmet has been put to the test since after a major crash, they don't work as well as foams inside are crushed.

More information on kids bicycle helmets found here:
http://www.pamf.org/children/common/safety/helmets.html http://kidshealth.org/kid/watch/out/bike_safety.html http://www.bhsi.org/childpam.htm

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Bicycle Helmets for Kids | WhoHelmets.org

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Buying a bicycle helmets for kids can be annoying because it prevents their hair from flipping against the wind - a cool feeling for them and it's a little bit heavy and sometimes uncomfortable and sometimes parents let their kids ... Continue reading →

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Pro bicylists are required to wear helmets.

Digital Vision./Digital Vision/Getty Images

While 21 states and the District of Columbia require minors to wear helmets when riding a bike, there are no state laws requiring adults to do so. Unfortunately, the latest traffic safety facts published by the U.S. Department of Transportation reveal an astounding 45,000 bicyclists were injured in traffic with 818 reported fatalities in just one year. One way to protect yourself from injury is to wear a helmet whenever you ride, whether the law requires you to do so or not.

To Protect Your Head and Brain

The number one reason to wear a helmet when riding your bike is to protect your head and brain. The U.S. Department of Transportation points out that, over the course of the past few years, only 17 percent of fatally-injured bicyclists were actually wearing helmets. They go on to say that if a bicyclist wears a helmet, he reduces his chance of head injury by 50 percent and his chance of head, face and neck injury by 33 percent.

To Set an Example for Children

A parent's role is not only to keep little ones safe, but also to guide them in learning how to make wise choices. The best way to do this is to lead by example, as children are more inclined to mimic what their parents are doing, not just obey verbal commands. If your kids see you wearing a helmet every time you climb on your bike, they're more likely to follow suit without giving it another thought.

To Show Off Your Style

Your bicycle helmet gives you a chance to show off your style. While you can certainly select a helmet made in a solid color, you can also purchase one with a design. Animal lovers may prefer a helmet with adorable kittens on it. Scientists may opt for a helmet with the planets displayed from front to back. There are also helmets with flowers, the American flag, lightning bolts and sports teams on them.

As Protection From the Weather

If your bicycle is your main mode of transportation, you may have to ride to and from work even if the weather isn't ideal. In this case, your helmet offers protection from the elements. Your hair will stay nice and dry in the rain and warm and toasty in the snow. The helmet also protects cyclists from the sun's harmful UV rays during the summer.

To Make Yourself Seen

Although cars will be able to see you clearly on the road during the day, you'll be almost invisible to them at night. Some helmets come with built-in reflectors that will help oncoming cars spot you from a distance. Others are designed to allow you to mount a headlamp on them. If you can't find a helmet like this, you can always purchase reflector tape and run a few strips across your traditional helmet.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
When traveling on a bike, it's important to always wear a helmet. This readily available gear not only protects your head and brain from injury during an accident, but sets a good example for your children. The helmet gives you a chance to express your style, while increasing visibility.