Helmets are for everyone, not just kids on bikes and skateboards. Whether you’re riding a motorcycle, snowmobile, horse or unicycle, put a helmet on your head.
Our skulls protect our brains and the tops of our spinal cords, but human bone is no match for rock and concrete. Cranial and facial injuries can result in serious, permanent changes to our ability to think and move our body.
Wearing a helmet is not a statement about your lack of skill or courage. Helmets are your defense against a rock thrown by the tire of a vehicle, against a small animal darting across your path or against a distracted driver veering into you.
In Iowa, from 2016 through 2021, there was a total of 324 motorcycle fatalities. Of those who died, 83 wore a helmet, but 241 had no helmet on. In other words, 74% of those who died weren’t wearing a helmet.
Your own consistent helmet use will convince your children that safety is for grown-ups and that they should continue being safe when they’re old enough to choose for themselves.
Safe Kids Worldwide works to help parents prevent unintentional injuries among children and adolescents, developing safety habits to last throughout their lifetime.
Ann Cochran is the health navigation coordinator in the Dallas County Public Health Department.
