Kids biking back to school have to remember to protect their head.
The Grey Bruce Public Health Unit is reminding people that under Ontario
law, children under the age of 18 must wear a proper bike helmet.
Public Health Nurse Meghan Wilkie says over 60 children die in bike
incidents every year in Canada, most from head injuries.
Wilkie says parents should check that their child’s helmet is CSA approved
and worn properly.
She says the helmet shouldhave a hard-shell with a polystyrene lining and
fit the child’s head well.
She says hockey helmets are not appropriate and will not protect cyclists.
Wilkie says colour can also be a factor and white, yellow, and orange
helmets provide the best visibility in traffic.
Wilkie adds that people over the age of 18 should still wear a helmet,
although it’s not the law.
She says adults can also suffer serious head injuries when biking without a
helmet.
The Grey Bruce Public Health Unit has a lot of bike-helmet information on
their website at www.publichealthgreybruce.com
The website also features a video and teaching kit called “Your Amazing
Brain” to teach children about eight years old about preventing spinal cord
injuries.
