Trauma Experts Offer Safety Tips for Young Bicyclists

Lakewood Joins Ranks of Communities with Helmet Laws

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Fairview Health System
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CLEVELAND, April 8, 1997 -- With the arrival of spring and warmer weather, children on bicycles will become a common sight among neighborhood sidewalks. And, fortunately, more and more communities are enacting protective helmet laws for children operating recreational equipment, such as Lakewood, which adopted such a law on April 1. Statistics indicate why. According to the American College of Emergency Physicians, almost 250 children under age 14 die in bike accidents each year. Another 400,000 are treated for bicycle injuries. More than half of these deaths and approximately 40,000 head injuries could be prevented if children wore bike helmets.

"Bicycle helmets reduce the risk of fatalities or serious head trauma," says Richard Treat, M.D., director of trauma and surgical critical care at Fairview Hospital. He reports that Fairview treats at least one bicycle injury every other day, and one severe injury each week in the summer. "Wearing a protective helmet will decrease the chance of death and lessen the possibility of the discomfort of hospitalization or months of rehabilitation," says Dr. Treat. "Protective helmets reduce the risk of serious injury by 85 percent, and the risk of brain injury by 90 percent." Dr. Treat also recommends reflectors and warning bells as standard equipment. His colleagues from Fairview Hospital, a Level II Trauma Center, add these tips to ensure your child's bike journey is a safe one:

• Buy a hard-shell bike helmet that is the right size for your child.
• Make certain your child's bike is the right height and can be straddled with both feet on the ground.
• If the bike must be used at night, make sure it is equipped with a white front headlight, red taillight and red rear reflector. Make sure the child wears "reflective" clothing.

Fairview Hospital is the flagship hospital of the Fairview Health System, a faith-based, not-for-profit organization that also includes Lutheran Hospital, a network of community-based patient service centers and allied physician groups.

CONTACT: Gary Weiland or Glenda Bogar of Fairview Health System, 216-476-4008