Safety when biking - information and tips from T-Mobile

Why are head injuries so dangerous?
Over the past 5 years, 768 cyclists have been killed, 4,168 severely injured and 21,796 slightly injured. Severe injuries are usually connected with a severe head injury. Many of those who have suffered such an injury will never recover. Broken bones or bruises can heal but injuries to the head can cause death or permanent disability. Brain concussion, contusion and compression are some of the possible consequences of a bike accident. After suffering a head injury, a dynamic and friendly person can become an apathetic person who behaves like a child and requires long and difficult treatment.

What does research show?
The results of expert studies have shown that cyclists who wear a helmet  are 19 less likely to be killed than those who do not use one. Helmets can prevent 83% of skull fractures, 53% of injuries to the soft parts of the head and 48% of brain injuries. The parts most frequently injured in children after a fall from a bike are: head - 44%, arms - 27%, abdomen - 6%, knees - 23%.

How can helmets help?
A bike helmet cannot prevent you from falling off a bike but it can significantly reduce the risk of a serious brain injury by redistributing the blow to the brain and skull in case of a crash. A helmet thus absorbs the force of an impact and redistributes the energy onto a larger surface. Therefore, any helmet that has sustained a blow should be changed and should not be used again even though it may look undamaged. Cycling helmets can prevent around 80% of serious head injuries in cyclists. Seventy-five percent of deaths in bike accidents are caused by head injuries. Using a helmet can thus save many lives. Any cyclist, young or old, should invest in a helmet - it is really worth it.

Will people use helmets?
Sensible people who care about their safety will use bike helmets and thus provide an example to their children, who are obliged to wear a helmet by law (Act No. 361/2000 Coll.). If children see that their parents wear a helmet, they will get used to it and the helmet will become a natural part of biking even when they grow up.

Parents and helmets

• Buy the helmet together with your child. It is easier to make your children wear a helmet when they have chosen it themselves and like it.
• Buy your children a helmet as early as possible so that they get used to it.
• The helmet must have ventilation holes. On hot days, a helmet that is not sufficiently ventilated may cause overheating and even dizziness.
• Every size helmet can be adjusted to different head shapes. Use the adjusting straps and "tune" the helmet so that it fits and does not move.
• The helmet should be light so that it does not burden the cyclist's neck. The weight of a helmet should not exceed 200g for children and 300g for adults.
• Compared to the price of a bike, the prices of helmets are affordable. A good-quality helmet for children costs from around CZK 500; adults can get a good helmet for around CZK 1,200.                             
  
• Clean the helmet with mild soap and warm water. Do not use detergents that can damage it.
• Experts recommend replacing the helmet after 3 to 8 years.
• When you go cycling with your child, wear your helmet. Your good example will help a lot.

Before you get on your bike:

• Before the trip, make sure that the helmet fits well and is placed sufficiently low on the forehead. 
• Don't forget to tighten the chin strap - otherwise the helmet could fall of your head if you have to break sharply. 
• Make sure your helmet does not move on your head so that it does not fall over your eyes.
• Besides a helmet, you should also wear gloves, which will prevent you from getting calluses when riding a long time and save you from painful injuries of joints and palms.
• Try to wear bright colours when cycling.   
• If you think your trip may last until evening, don't forget to take a flashing light.
• Before the trip, check that your brakes and lights work correctly.

Cycling helmet for everybody 
Cycling helmets are for all riders - not just for professionals. A serious bike accident can happen to anybody, anytime, anywhere and at any speed. Research has shown that most serious cycling accidents occur on a quiet road  "in the neighbourhood". This holds true especially for children. Most deadly accidents occur in residential areas. Professionals on international tours (Giro ďltalia, Tour de France or Vuelta a Espaňa), the biggest professional cycling races, of course use helmets. Every approved helmet contains a liner made of breakable foam, which falls into pieces and absorbs most of the impacts in case of a crash. In many helmets this liner is protected by a plastic shell that helps hold the foam together in case of a blow and improves the helmet's ability to slide so that it does not adhere to the road. Straps and buckles prevent the helmet from falling off in case of a crash. All cycling helmets sold in the Czech Republic must be approved by the Ministry of Transport and bear an approval mark ATEST 8 SD. All helmets must be sold with instructions for use in Czech.

Children love biking - and their parents?
A bike gives children a new feeling of independence. It is like a horse they can saddle. It offers them a new view on the world and satisfies their natural need to explore it.
On a bike, children can easily escape from the space defined by adults. Biking brings them new feelings that inspire them to go on riding the bike. A very exhilarating phenomenon is speed experienced through the feeling of wind on one's face.
Later, children look for more challenging obstacles. Therefore, children aged between two and four should have a limited space to move and should learn to know their limits. Parents have to constantly bear in mind that children's perception, resolution ability and experience are not on the same level as those of adults.
Apart from a suitable space for cycling we should also show children the dangerous parts of the bike. Children like to turn the bike upside down and watch the back wheel, which they spin using pedal or directly by hand. It is necessary to tell them about the injuries and pain they can suffer when putting their hands between the spokes of a spinning wheel or between the chain and sprocket. And it is of course also necessary to remove from the bike all dangerous parts such as frayed cables, uncovered screws or unprotected handlebar tips.

Tips for biking instruction
At three years of age, you can buy your child a bike with 12-inch wheels. It should have a functional rim brake and removable cranks or at least pedals. On such a bike, the child can at first move as on a "running bike". The saddle should be set up in such a way that the child can safely stand on the ground. When the child learns to keep balance (he/she can ride for several seconds without putting his/her feet on the ground) you can put the cranks or pedals back on. At this moment, it is suitable to include a short lesson with a tricycle so that the child learns the technique of pedaling. Pedaling is also easier to learn on a bike with a so-called fixed hub where the whole gearing systems turns with the wheel. However, such a bike is suitable only for riding on flat terrain. When riding downhill the pedals spin too quickly.
The use of training wheels is a step backwards which usually delays the child's progress towards independence in riding. Running behind the child supporting the saddle is not as efficient as independent riding either. Children must set the pace of training themselves. They ride only when they like to and it is good when they see their parents and other children biking as well. Adults only ensure suitable conditions. The most important and limiting factor for a longer ride with children is the brakes. A good solution is a coaster brake combined with a good front rim brake. Children should get used to wearing a helmet when they ride in a children's bike seat. 
Children who learn to ride a bike at higher age (12 to 15 years) should also start in a position in which they can reach the ground with their feet. On a mild slope, they practice the ability to keep balance without pedaling, to drive and to stop, at first only with their feet off the pedals, so that they can gain stability by putting their feet on the ground. Then they start to ride with their feet on the pedals and learn to pedal and turn right and left. At this age, children usually learn the basics of biking very quickly.

Based on the book Kolo pro děti a jejich rodiče (Bike for children and their parents) by Jiří Šafránek, published in the Portal publishing house in 2000.

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