If a bike, skateboard or scooter is on your holiday shopping list for a child this year, check that list twice to make sure it also includes the appropriate helmet and safety gear.
On Tuesday County officials joined Rady Children’s Hospital and helmet safety advocates to remind the public that wearing safety gear – especially a helmet – can prevent a serious injury in an accident. In addition, children under age 18 are required by California law to wear helmets when riding bikes, skateboards, skates and scooters.
“Hearing about a child having a serious head injury from not wearing a helmet is tragic,” said Supervisor Ron Roberts. “What may have been a badly skinned knee instead becomes a family’s nightmare.”
In San Diego County each year, an average of 2,900 people of all ages are hospitalized and 450 die from traumatic brain injuries. In 2011 and 2012 combined, paramedics documented in 512 emergency responses involving activities covered by the state’s helmet law that only 35 percent of injured children were wearing helmets.
“We know that for a variety of reasons, kids do not always wear helmets,” said Nick Macchione, director of the County Health and Human Services Agency. “That’s why we want to get the message out to parents and guardians that helmets save lives and reduce serious injuries. It’s that simple.”
Nick Johnson, a San Diego teen, became a helmet advocate after his sister suffered a serious head injury from a skateboard accident in which she was not wearing a helmet. He said perception is a factor in kids not wearing helmets.
“When they say helmets are not cool, I tell them it’s better than being dead,” he said.
Helmets are designed for specific activities, and it is important to purchase the appropriate helmet for the activity a child is doing and ensure that it fits properly. Helmets should also meet the standards of the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission or the American Society for Testing and Materials.
