How to Make Bicycle Helmets “Cool” and Decrease Florida Bicycle Accident Injuries

Our recent article (entitled "Can School Increase a Child's Chances of Being Injured in a South Florida Bicycle Crash?") states that some Florida school officials are urging children to ride their bikes to school more often. If children in Florida are going to be biking to school, parents of children need to teach them the basic principles of bicycle safety before allowing them to bike to school with their friends.

The most important thing to teach your child is to always wear a bicycle helmet. Although bicycle helmets can reduce head and brain injuries by as much as 88% in the event of a Florida bicycle crash, studies show that only about 25% of children use bicycle helmets, according to NHTSA. Why?

Many children indicate that bicycle helmets are not cool or fashionable. So, how can parents get their children to wear bike helmets? Parents need to:

• Lead by example - always wear a bicycle helmet when riding a bicycle with your child.

• Provide safety basics - review the rules of the road with your children.

• Buy a helmet your child likes - have your children with you when purchasing bicycle helmets, so they can tell you what color they like.

• Let children decorate their helmets - buy stickers, glitter, or things your child thinks looks cool, and let them decorate their helmet.

By making your child's bicycle helmet look cool, they may be more prone to wear it, which would help decrease their chances of injuries in the event of a South Florida bicycle accident.

If your child was injured in a bicycle crash by someone else's negligence, please call Chalik & Chalik at (888) 539-5297 to schedule your free legal consultation with a qualified Fort Lauderdale bicycle accident attorney.