Did you know that many children suffer serious injuries or die in bicycle accidents each year? Among these are death from blunt force trauma or blunt injury caused by a malfunction of the bicycle helmet. There is no doubt that a bicycle helmet can prevent the worst of injuries from occurring, but as with everything in life, you get what you pay for. In this case, the money matters more than the protection afforded by a bicycle helmet.
Quality Matters
One of the first things parents learn when they shop for their children’s gear is to watch out for what’s considered a “good” helmet and what is considered a “bad” helmet. You see, there are many types of helmets on the market, and most of them provide good protection against the forces of an accident. However, there are some other features that may be included in a good helmet, but that is totally unnecessary and often don’t serve any useful purpose. For example, among the standard features of many helmets for children are the addition of a “dent” guard. Let me explain why this is unnecessary:
Kids love to ride bicycles. They really like sitting on the bike, watching their friends, and practicing their riding skills. And so do adults! So, why would adding a dent on a bike helmet to help prevent serious bicycle injuries or even death.
Understand Features
Let me explain. Many standard bicycle helmets include rigid straps and some sort of air venting holes. The reason that these items are included is to keep the child’s head warm in cold weather. The problem is that these safety features are very ineffective at keeping the kid’s head safe during an accident.
Standard bike helmets include either a “muffs” liner or a soft polycotton liner. A muffs liner seems to work reasonably well at preventing crushing. The problem is that it doesn’t provide much protection from impacts. And, if a child has to spend time in the hospital because of a serious head injury, the costs could be thousands of dollars.
Additional Feature
Another feature common in bicycle helmets for kids is a multi-sport helmet. These items include a mouth piece, cheek pads, chin strap, and forehead protector. All of these items can be easily removed by a parent, but none of them are very effective at keeping a child safe in an accident. Even if a child is wearing a multi-sport helmet with a properly fitted chin strap, it’s still very easy to knock off his or her head during an accident. So, what is the purpose of this feature and why does a manufacturer need to include it?
The answer is simple: parents and kids alike need to be able to see what’s happening in case of an accident. In addition, bicycle helmets with built-in visors allow parents and kids to make it easier to see the road condition, avoid obstacles, and improve visibility. A properly fitted visor will have vents that are properly adjusted for temperature, and it will have a seal that prevents fogging. Most companies have discounts and specials where you can get these bicycle helmets for kids at a discount or for free. If your retailer doesn’t have any good deals on these items, simply search for “discount bicycle helmets” on your favorite search engine and you should be able to find some great deals on them.
Conclusion
Another benefit of a multi-sport helmet for kids is its comfort. A proper fit is important, especially when it comes to the fit of the cheek pads and the chin strap. And, most of these brands offer contoured fit cheek pads that eliminate the need for your kid to put tape on the back of his or her head, which is something most parents aren’t prepared to do. And, if you can find a helmet with an interchangeable visor, you’ve taken the perfect first step toward protecting your child’s eyes.
