It's the one thing that could save the life of your child, yet more and more parents are not requiring their kids to wear a helmet.
According to the non-profit "Safe Kids Worldwide," 40 percent of parents said they don't always require their kids to wear a helmet.
That same study found nearly 50 kids an hour went to the ER because of a bike, scooter or stake-boarding accident.
At Children's Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, Professor of Pediatrics Dr. Denise Dowd says a helmet can be the difference between a major and minor injury, and even worse case scenario, death.
"Something as simple as falling off of a bicycle without a helmet on, you know people think, well gosh, you know they are not going very fast, they are not going to be on the road, they are just going to be on the sidewalk but yet if you hit your head just right and you are not wearing a helmet you could sustain a severe brain injury," said Dr. Dowd.
Here are some safety tips for when your child starts playing on their bike, scooter, or stake board this summer:
- Wear a helmet! Dr. Dowd says it can prevent injuries up to 75 to 80 percent of the time.
- Wear wrist guards, especially on scooters. The "Safe Kids Worldwide" study found more accidents are happening on scooters and bikes.
- Have your kids wear bright colors, especially first thing in the morning and at night.
- Riding with your children will decrease the chance of an accident
Dr. Dowd also suggest biking away from the street.
"Use the trail system here you know there's a number of really great off road trails here in Kansas City and Johnson County to use I think that's really helpful cause the risk of severe injury or death really goes up when you have an environment where cars are in contact with a bike rider," said Dr. Dowd.
