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With many families' "back-to-school" preparations well underway, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission urges parents to include bicycle helmets on the list of items for those youngsters planning to bike to school.

Each year about 1,200 bicyclists are killed and more than half a million bicycle-related injuries are treated in hospital emergency rooms. About one-third of these deaths and two-thirds of the injuries involve school age children under the age of 15. Three out of four of the deaths are due to head trauma and about one-third of the injuries are to the head or face. It is estimated that helmets are now worn by fewer than one out of 10 bicyclists. Some of these deaths and injuries could have been prevented if the rider had been wearing a helmet.

The purpose of a helmet is to absorb the energy of an impact to minimize or prevent a head injury. Crushable, expanded polystyrene foam generally is used for this purpose. Many helmets also have a hard outer shell which can provide additional protection to the head in the event of a collision with a sharp object.

A bicycle helmet should have a snug but comfortable fit on the rider's head. Some helmets are available with several different thicknesses of internal padding to custom fit the helmet to the user. If a parent is buying a helmet for a child, the CPSC recommends that the child accompany the parent so that the helmet can be tested for a good fit.

For a helmet to provide protection during impact, it must have a chin strap and buckle that will stay securely fastened. No combination of twisting or pulling should remove the helmet from the head or loosen the buckle on the strap. Children should be instructed to always wear the helmet with the chin strap firmly buckled while bicycling.

There are two nationally recognized voluntary safety standards for bicycle helmets sold in the United States. Both of these safety standards contain requirements for the helmet features discussed above. When purchasing a helmet, consumers are urged to examine the helmet and accompanying instructions and safety literature carefully. The CPSC recommends that bicyclists consider wearing only those helmets that are labeled as conforming with the voluntary standards. The CPSC is currently evaluating bicycle helmet safety standards to determine if their effectiveness can be increased. The CPSC's 1974 bicycle regulations require reflectors on the front and rear of the bicycle, on the pedals, and reflective tire sidewalls or wheel rims or spoke-mounted reflectors. Other safety precautions for higher visibility and dusk and night bicycling are to install and use front and rear lights on the bicycle and to wear clothing with reflective tape or markings.

On May 15, 1989, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the CPSC signed a Memorandum of Understanding to improve the safety of bicyclists. NHTSA states that many bicycle-car crashes can be avoided by applying the rules of the road and by increasing attentiveness of cyclists and motorists. Bicyclists have a legal right to share the road, but they are often not noticed in traffic. Drivers should always keep an eye out for bicyclists, especially when turning, merging, changing lanes, or entering intersections. NHTSA is distributing a bicycle safety information sheet for parents of school age children. For a copy, write to: U.S. Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 400 7th Street, SW, Washington, D.C. 20590.