The Helmet Habit GET INTO IT!

Good Reasons to Wear a Helmet

1. The most important reason is to prevent head injuries!
2. Visibility: You are easier to see.
3. Emergency Data: If you have a medical condition, you can tape information inside your helmet.
4. Climate Control: A helmet will keep the sun off your head so that you stay cooler.
5. Image: When wearing a helmet, motorists will expect you to ride correctly.

Statistics show 75% of all bicycle-related injuries and deaths are caused by collisions involving the head and Helmets are 87% effective in protecting against head injuries.

Proper Fit

• The helmet must stay on your head. It should fit snug and feel good.
• It should be positioned on your head to cover As much as possible – including the forehead.
• Always buckle the chin strap.
• Use the foam pads that come with helmet to insure proper fit.

When purchasing helmets for children, the helmet should cover as much of the head as possible.
It should be positioned level on the head and fit securely when fastened.

 

 

How to Get Your Child to Wear a Helmet

1. Let the child help pick it out.
2. Always insist that the child wear it.
3. When you ride together, set by example – wear your own helmet.
4. Praise and reward each time your child wears their helmet.
5. Begin the helmet habit with the first bicycle ride.
6. Encourage other parents to buy and use helmets.

Safety Tips

1. Wear a helmet
2. Obey signs and signals.
3. Ride on the right side of the road with traffic.
4. Watch for road hazards.
5. Use hand signals.
6. Lock your bike
7. Children Should not ride at night.
8. Watch for cars in driveways.
9. Use caution in wet weather.
10. Be predictable.
11. Give your bike regular check-ups.
12. Be considerate.

ATV SAFETY

To view our power point on ATV Safety and Statistics, please Click Here.

Falls Education Awareness on TBI

Each year, thousands of older Americans fall at home. Many of them are seriously injured, and some of them are disabled.More than one third of adults 65 and older fall each year in the United States. Among older adults, falls are the leading cause of deaths. They are also the most common cause of nonfatal injuries and hospital admission for trauma.

In 2005, 15,800 people 65 and older died from injuries related to unintentional falls; about 1.8 million people 65 and older were treated in the ER for nonfatal injuries from falls and more than 433,000 of these patients were hospitalized.The rates of fall related deaths among older adults rose significantly over the past decade.Falls are the most common cause of traumatic brain injuries, or TBI. In 2000, TBI accounted for 46% of fatal falls among older adults in the United States.

Who is at risk?

• Men are more likely to die from a fall. After adjusting for age, the fall fatality rate in 2004 was 49% higher for men than for women
• Women are 67% more likely than men to have a nonfatal fall injury
• Rates of fall related fractures among older adults are more than twice as high for women as for men.
• The risk of being seriously injured in a fall increases with age. In 2001, the rates of fall injuries for adults 85 and older were four to five times that of adults ages 65 - 74.
• Nearly 85% of deaths from falls in 2004 were among people 75 and older.
• People 75 and older who fall are four to five times more likely to be admitted to a long - term care facility for a year or longer.
• There is little difference in fatal fall rates between whites and blacks from age 65 - 74.
• After age 75, white men have the highest fatality rate, followed by white women, black men, and black women.
• White women have significantly higher rates of fall - related hip fractures than black women.