Gear Up (Helmets Included) for a Safe Bike Season
MONDAY, March 20, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- As the weather warms, folks are bringing out their bicycles for a ride.
That’s great, but it’s important to be ready for a safe biking season: The national rate of bike accidents is two fatal crashes and 2,630 accidents requiring emergency room visits every week.
Angela Mountz, community car seat safety program coordinator at Penn State Health Children’s Hospital in Hershey, offers some tips for parents to help their young cyclists avoid serious childhood riding accidents.
“I had a cousin who was hit by a car [while on a bike],” Mountz said in a hospital news release.
Mountz’s cousin didn’t die, but suffered from the injuries for the rest of his life.
“Kids go around thinking, ‘It’s not going to happen to me,’” she said. “But it’s so important to protect yourself.”
A helmet is at the very top of her list. The odds that a child will suffer a serious injury if involved in a crash while biking go up 40% if they’re not wearing a helmet, Mountz said.
Parents should also wear a helmet while riding: “We need to teach them by example,” Mountz said.
Aim for safety over style, Mountz added. Look for a sticker from the American National Standards Institute or the Snell Memorial Foundation to be sure your child’s helmet is certified.
Check your kids’ helmets every two months to make sure they’re still fitting properly.
A helmet should fit snugly, not so tight that it cuts off the circulation but it shouldn’t move much.
Have your child open their mouth. Do they feel the helmet hugging their head? If not, try tightening it.
The rim of the helmet should be two finger widths above the eyebrows.
The chin strap should fit over the chin and be buckled while in use. Make sure the straps form a V under the ears.
Kids riding scooters or skateboards should also wear helmets.
The next consideration is the bike itself. Make sure it’s a good fit, even if it’s a hand-me-down.
Have you child stand next to it. Are their hips even with the seat? When they aren’t pedaling, their feet should easily be able to reach the ground.
Check the bike’s tires and brakes. Is the chain loose? Are there any loose parts? If the bike is too big or in disrepair, consider replacing it instead of reusing it.
When riding, choose good shoes. That means sneakers rather than flip flops. Make sure your child isn’t wearing loose-fitting clothing that can get caught in the bike chain.
It’s OK to wear other protective gear, as long as it doesn’t make it harder to ride.
Talk to your older kids about the rules of the road. Motorists must allow 4 feet of distance when overtaking a bicycle, but bicyclers must follow traffic laws. They should signal if they’re turning, stop at crosswalks and yield to pedestrians. Cyclists must ride with traffic, not against it.
The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has more on bicycle safety.
SOURCE: Penn State Health, news release, March 15, 2023
Hifadhi ya baiskeli ya usalama: Jumanne, Machi 20, 2023 - Kama hali ya hewa inavyopanda, watu wanaleta baiskeli zao kwa safari. "Hiyo ni nzuri, lakini ni muhimu kuwa tayari kwa msimu salama wa baiskeli: kiwango cha kitaifa cha ajali za baiskeli ni ajali mbili za kifo na ajali 2,630 zinazohitaji ziara za chumba cha dharura kila wiki. """ Angela Mountz, mratibu wa programu ya usalama wa kiti cha gari la jamii katika Hospitali ya Watoto ya Afya ya Jimbo la Penn huko Hershey, hutoa vidokezo kwa wazazi kusaidia baiskeli zao vijana kuepuka ajali mbaya za kuendesha baiskeli za utotoni. "Nilikuwa na binamu ambaye alipigwa na gari [wakati alikuwa kwenye baiskeli]," Mountz alisema katika taarifa ya habari ya hospitali. Binamu ya Mountz hakufa, lakini aliteseka kutokana na majeraha kwa maisha yake yote. "Watoto huzunguka wakifikiri, 'Hilo halitakuwa kwangu,'" akasema. <unk>Lakini ni muhimu sana kujilinda.<unk> Kofia ya chuma ni juu kabisa ya orodha yake. "Uwezekano wa mtoto kupata jeraha kubwa katika ajali ya baiskeli unazidi 40% kama hana kofia ya chuma,"" alisema Mountz." Wazazi pia wanapaswa kuvaa kofia ya chuma wakati wa kuendesha: "Tunahitaji kuwafundisha kwa mfano", Mountz alisema. Mountz aliongeza kwamba lengo ni usalama badala ya mtindo. Tafuta stika kutoka kwa Taasisi ya Kiwango cha Kitaifa ya Amerika au Snell Memorial Foundation ili kuhakikisha kofia ya chuma ya mtoto wako imethibitishwa. Angalia kofia za watoto wako kila baada ya miezi miwili ili kuhakikisha kwamba bado zinafaa. Kofia ya chuma inapaswa kufaa vizuri, si ngumu sana hivi kwamba inakataza mzunguko wa damu lakini haipaswi kuhamia sana. Mwalike mtoto wako afungue kinywa chake. Je, wanahisi kofia ya chuma ikiwakumbatia kichwa? Ikiwa sivyo, jaribu kuifunga kwa nguvu zaidi. Pembe ya kofia ya chuma inapaswa kuwa na upana wa vidole viwili juu ya vipaji vya macho. Mshiko wa kidevu unapaswa kufanana na kidevu na kufungwa wakati wa matumizi. Hakikisha kwamba kamba hizo hufanyiza herufi V chini ya masikio. Watoto wanaopanda pikipiki au skateboard wanapaswa pia kuvaa kofia za chuma. Jambo jingine la kuzingatia ni baiskeli yenyewe. Hakikisha kwamba inafaa vizuri, hata ikiwa ni ya zamani. Mfanye mtoto wako amesimame kando yake. Je, viuno vyao viko sawa na kiti? Wakati wao si pedaling, miguu yao lazima kwa urahisi kuwa na uwezo wa kufikia ardhi. Chunguza tairi na breki za baiskeli. Je, mnyororo umevunjika? Je, kuna sehemu zozote zilizofungwa? Ikiwa baiskeli hiyo ni kubwa sana au imeharibika, fikiria kuibadilisha badala ya kuitumia tena. Unapopanda farasi, chagua viatu vizuri. Hiyo inamaanisha viatu vya michezo badala ya viatu vya miguu. Hakikisha mtoto wako havalii nguo zenye kufaa ambazo zinaweza kukamatwa katika mnyororo wa baiskeli. Ni sawa kuvaa vifaa vingine vya kinga, mradi tu haifanyi iwe vigumu zaidi kuendesha. Zungumza na watoto wako kuhusu sheria za barabarani. Waendeshaji wa magari wanapaswa kuruhusu umbali wa mita 4 wakati wa kukimbia baiskeli, lakini baiskeli lazima zifuate sheria za trafiki. Wanapaswa kutoa ishara ikiwa wanageuka, kusimamishwa kwenye njia za kuvuka na kutoa nafasi kwa watembea kwa miguu. Wapanda-baiskeli wanapaswa kuendesha gari pamoja na magari, si kinyume chake. Shirika la Marekani la Usalama wa Barabara Kuu (NHTSA) linatoa taarifa kuhusu usalama wa baiskeli. "Kutoka kwa ""Penn State Health"" na ""Penn State Health"" na ""Penn State Health"" na ""Penn State Health"" na ""Penn State Health"" na ""Penn State Health"" na ""Penn State Health"" na ""Penn State Health"" na ""Penn State Health"" na ""Penn State Health"" na ""Penn State Health"" na ""Penn State Health"" na ""Penn State Health"" na ""Penn State Health"" na ""Penn State Health"" na ""Penn State Health"" na ""Penn State Health."""