Bike Safety

Donna Joyner, coordinator of Safe Kids Northwest Piedmont, gets passionate when educating parents about bicycle safety, especially helmets.

As the trauma/burn outreach coordinator for Wake Forest Baptist Health—Brenner Children’s Hospital, she has the following bicycle safety tips for parents:

• Buy a bicycle that fits. The child’s feet should be able to touch the floor to control the bike. “You don’t buy a bike for a child to grow into.’’ 
• When you buy a bicycle for a child, buy the helmet, too. Make sure it fits. “You don’t buy a helmet to grow into, either.’’ 
• Make sure the child is wearing the helmet. And wear one yourself. “Parents say they just hate to wear a helmet. It’s very disturbing to hear a parent say that, especially in front of a child. I tell them a helmet will reduce a head injury by 85%.’’ 
• Helmets are worth it even for your tyke’s first tricycle. “They’re all decorated up with the Spiderman or princess outfit or whatever. But if they fall over, their big old head is the first thing that’s going to hit the ground. And if you start them young like that, they’re more apt to wear helmets when they get older.’"