Helmets and Brain Injury

The Brain
Helmets
How to get Children into the Helmet Habit
How to fit a Helmet
Buying a Helmet
Helmet Care

The Brain

The brain is responsible for every action we take and every emotion we feel. The brain controls everything that we do and is responsible for who we are as individuals. An injury to the brain can cause a change to the structure or function of the brain. Change to the structure or function of the brain may result in physical, behavioural and emotional changes to the person. We must make every effort to protect the brain from harm to avoid the potentially devastating and life-altering consequences of a brain injury.

For additional information on the brain and brain injury, please refer to the following resources: Brain Injury Due to Trauma, Protecting the Brain.

Helmets

• Absorb impact and minimize violent movement of the brain within the skull.
• Distribute impact over a larger area, reducing the chance of a skull fracture.
• Provide protection from the sun, reducing risk of heat exhaustion and dehydration.

People who wear properly fitted bicycle helmets reduce their risk of brain injury by up to 85% in the event of a crash or fall.

Wear your helmet every time you ride.

Do not let a child cycle without a helmet.

A helmet is useless if you do not use it.

Helmets are designed and approved for specific activities. A bicycle helmet is the only helmet designed to absorb the type of impact that may be encountered in a cycling crash or fall. Bicycle helmets are designed to protect the skull and brain from only one impact and therefore should not be used for multiple impact activities. Multipurpose helmets exist and may be certified for both cycling and multiple impact activities such as skateboarding.

How to Get Children into the Helmet Habit

Saskatchewan youth, age 12 to 19 years, have the lowest rate of helmet use when cycling out of all other age groups. Only 17.1% of these youth wear a bicycle helmet every time they ride. A properly fitted helmet reduces the risk of brain injury by 85%. Is your child in the helmet habit?

• Have your child help pick out his helmet. Children will be more likely to wear their helmet, if it is one that they like.
• Make helmet use a habit. Encourage children to always wear their helmets and do not let a child cycle without a helmet. If your child will not wear a helmet, the bike stays at home.
• Reward and praise children for wearing helmets, especially if they do so without being told.
• Be a good role model. Always wear your helmet when you ride.
• Use positive peer pressure. Encourage your child's friends to wear helmets.
• Encourage other parents to buy their children helmets. Emphasize the importance of a bicycle helmet for their child's safety.
• Suggest that your local school enact a helmet rule for children riding to or at school.
• Educate your children. Teach them that:
  • Bikes are vehicles, not toys.
  • A brain injury is forever - it cannot be fixed like a broken arm. Some children die from bicycle-related injuries and others may live the rest of their lives with a disability.
  • Professional athletes wear helmets while participating in sports (hockey players, football players, Olympic cyclists).
  • Amateur races sanctioned by provincial cycling associations enforce mandatory helmet use. Take children to watch a bicycle race. Watching racers who wear helmets will make an impression on your child.
  • You value them and their brain.
• Helmet habits are easier to establish at an early age rather than later. Start children with good helmet habits while they are learning to ride a tricycle.
• The rule is every time, every ride; like buckling a seat belt. Be consistent and follow the rules regarding helmet use that you expect your child to follow!

NOTE: If you cycle with a child in a bike trailer or carrier, ensure the child is over 1 year of age and is wearing an approved helmet. Children under 1 year of age cannot wear a helmet due to head and neck development and therefore should not be in a bike trailer or carrier of any kind.

Slings and baby support adaptors are available for infant use in child trailers. These may be used with the trailer as a stroller or jogger, but should not be used for cycling with children less than one year of age.

How to Fit a Helmet

The helmet should not move backward or forward, nor should it be possible to remove the helmet from the head when the chin strap is fastened. Excessive movement of the helmet in any direction can be eliminated by adjusting and tightening the straps. You should not be able to fit any fingers between your head and the helmet. You should be able to open your mouth comfortably with the helmet on and chin strap fastened.

Always buckle the chip strap on a helmet. A helmet that is not buckled up will be useless in the event of a fall or crash.

Buying a Helmet

• Only use an approved helmet. Buy a cycling helmet that meets one of the following standards: CSA, ASTM, CPSC, Snell.
• All helmets fit differently. Before you buy a helmet, try it on to ensure you get a helmet that fits correctly and is comfortable. A helmet should not be too loose as a loose helmet may result in an injury if it moves upon impact.
• Choose a helmet that is a bright colour to allow motorists to easily see it and you.
• Choose a helmet with enough vents to allow for maximum coolness, with adjustable straps and a quick-release buckle that fits snugly under your chin and does not pinch.
• Ensure the person who will be wearing the helmet likes the helmet so it will be more likely worn.
• Buy a helmet from a store with knowledgeable sales staff, to help select and fit the helmet.

Small children have weaker neck muscles than adults, so their helmets must be lighter in weight. If you are unsure about the correct helmet weight for your child, check with your doctor. Head size does not change significantly after the age of five years, so a helmet should only need to be replaced when it is involved in a crash or is 3 to 5 years old.

Helmet Care

Bicycle helmets are designed to absorb only a single hard blow. Treat your helmet carefully when you are not wearing it; do not hit it against other objects or drop it from heights.

Always replace a bike helmet after a crash. The foam lining of a helmet loses most of its protective value after being compressed by an impact. The damage to a helmet may not be visible, but it will no longer function to protect you in another crash.

Check helmets for damage frequently. If a crack is found, buy a new helmet. Check screws and fasteners to make sure they are secure.

Never paint or put decals on the helmet unless specified by the manufacturer.

Do not clean helmets with cleaning fluids. Wash helmets with warm, soapy water.

Replace old helmets every 3 to 5 years.

For additional information on helmets, please refer to the following resources: How to Choose a Bicycle Helmet for Your Child, Gotta Brain Wear a Helmet.