Preventing Bike Injuries

With school back in session, bicycles become a preferred daily transportation mode for children around neighborhood streets. While this activity provides endless hours of enjoyment and great exercise for children, many people may not understand some of the potential dangers that bicycles pose. Without proper instruction and safety precautions, bicycle riders may be involved in serious cycling accidents.

According to the National Center for Injury Prevention, each year approximately 140 children are killed as bicyclists; children sustain more than 275,000 nonfatal bicycle injuries each year; and about 690 children are injured daily due to bicycle-related crashes. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, an estimated 14,000 bicyclists age 14 and under were injured where a motor vehicle was involved in 2005.

In the event of an accident, wearing a bike helmet reduces the risk of serious head injuries by 85 percent and severe brain injury by 88 percent; unfortunately, national estimates on helmet usage suggest only 15-25 percent of bicyclists wear a helmet when riding. Universal helmet use by children ages four to 15 would prevent up to 45,000 head injuries and up to 55,000 scalp and face injuries annually.

Locally, according to the Youth Risk Behavior Survey performed in schools, an average of 77 percent of school-age children never or rarely wear a helmet. Here are statistics from some specific school systems:

• Anderson County Schools – 77.8 percent never or rarely wear a helmet when on a bike, while 83.9 percent never or rarely wear a helmet when on rollerblades or a skateboard.
• Knox County Schools – 77.5 percent never or rarely wear a helmet.
• Oak Ridge City Schools – 51.6 percent never or rarely wear a helmet when on a bike, while 60.1 percent never or rarely wear a helmet when on rollerblades or a skateboard.

"The most common serious injury we see from bicycle accidents is head injury," said Dr. Lise Christensen, Pediatric Emergency Medical Physician at East Tennessee Children's Hospital. "Helmet use can prevent almost all of this from happening. But parents need to set the example. No matter where children are riding – whether in the yard or on the street—they need to wear a helmet."

For more information on bicycle safety, call the Children's Hospital Community Relations Department at (865) 541-8165.