ORANGE PARK, Fla. – Back-to-school season is bringing safety into sharper focus for families in Northeast Florida as more children ride e-bikes and related incidents increase.
A helmet is one of the simplest ways to prevent serious injury.
Jenna Gonzalez, a trauma injury prevention registered nurse at HCA Florida Orange Park Hospital, says this is the “No. 1 piece of equipment that is going to protect you.”
A study from the National Library of Medicine found that using a bike helmet reduced head injury by 48%, serious head injury by 60% and traumatic brain injury by 53%.
Gonzalez said the most important step is making sure a helmet fits properly.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recommends the “two-finger” rule: the helmet should sit about two fingers above the eyebrows; the straps should form a V that meets at the earlobe; and there should be about two fingers’ space under the chin.
“You use that dial in the back, and you’re going to turn the dial until it’s tight on your head,” Gonzalez explained.
Have the child shake their head to make sure the helmet does not move. She advised buying a helmet that fits now rather than one a child will grow into, because a loose helmet offers less protection.
Bike helmets have an outer shell and a foam interior designed to absorb impact energy, protecting key areas of the brain.
“This front part is going to protect our frontal lobe. This is the big important part of our brain that we want to protect, and then also ensuring that this is sitting in the right space so that way we can protect the back of our heads because that’s where we see a lot of the injuries too,” Gonzalez said.
She urged parents to set a good example: Studies show children are more likely to wear helmets when their parents do and when clear helmet rules are enforced.