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Remember summer safety begins with a helmet |
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As you break out the sports equipment and start enjoying the warmer weather, the Brain Injury Association of Massachusetts (BIA-MA) urges you to dust off the helmet as well. If you engage in an activity where there's a risk of head injury, wearing a helmet is always a good idea.
"Bike-related crashes injure more than 500,000 people every year, and head injuries account for 63 percent of all fatalities," said Emily Ring, Manager of Prevention Programs for the Brain Injury Association of Massachusetts. "Helmets can prevent many head injuries associated with biking as well as baseball, skateboarding and rollerblading," she said.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, use of helmets reduces the risk of bike-related head injury by as much as 84 percent. Sadly, youngsters under 15 account for about half of bike injuries.
"When wearing a helmet, make sure it is worn correctly down in front," advised Ring. "Prevention begins with parents, who serve as role models for their children by wearing a helmet themselves."
BIA-MA is a private non-profit organization that provides support to brain injury survivors and their families, offers programs to prevent brain injuries, and educates the public on the risks and impact of brain injury. The association advocates for legislation to prevent brain injuries, including seat belt and helmet laws.
BIA-MA offers a series of prevention fact cards on such topics as helmet safety, sports concussion, pedestrian safety and teen driving. For more information, call (800) 242-0030 or visit www.biama.org.
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