Q: Does my child really need to wear a helmet while riding a scooter?
A: Yes! According to SafeKidsUSA, there are approximately 275,000 non-fatal
bicycle, scooter and skating injuries each year, or 690 kids injured every
day. Head injury (also called traumatic brain injury or TBI) is the most
common injury sustained after a child falls from a bike or scooter. Helmets
decrease the risk of head injury (TBI) by as much as 85-90%. If every
child wore a helmet every time they were on a bike/scooter, the number
of traumatic brain injuries would be reduced by up to 45,000 children.
No matter the speed of the bike or scooter, a fall could still happen.
A helmet won't keep them from falling, but it will definitely keep
their brain safer and drastically reduce the risk of a serious brain injury.
It’s easy to let the kids to jump on their bikes, scooters or skates
and race to see their friends, but those few seconds it takes to put on
a helmet could save their life. In honor of National Trauma Awareness
Month, before your kids scoot away, take a few minutes to make sure that
their helmet is properly strapped on!
By Sharry Duncan, RN, CEN
CaroMont Regional Medical Center, Trauma Program Manager
CaroMont Regional Medical Center is a Level III Trauma Center, one of only
four in North Carolina. We diagnose, treat and manage serious traumatic
injuries utilizing a multidisciplinary team to care for trauma patients. Click
here
to learn more about our emergency care services.