Download the Bicycle Helmet Safety Brochure (pdf)

Bike Helmet Basics
by Melinda Lucas, M.D.
Chair, Injury and Poison Prevention Committee, TNAAP 

Tennessee has a Bike Helmet Law which requires children under the age of 17 to wear bicycle helmets when riding bicycles on public streets and sidewalks. Citations can be issued to those not wearing helmets. On the first offense, the child will have to get a helmet. Thereafter, violations will cost $2.00.

Bicycle helmets can prevent up to 88% of cyclists' brain injuries. However the helmets must meet certain standards and must be fitted securely and buckled properly at the time of the crash to achieve maximum safety. Thus, just wearing a helmet will not prevent injuries.

The helmets should be level on the head and not tilted back exposing the foreheads. The helmet should touch all around the head, be snug (not tight) and comfortable, and should not move more than about an inch in any direction. The helmet should not pull off no matter how hard a parent tries. A brightly colored helmet will enhance visibility for motorists and other cyclists. Mirrors are a necessity, but they need a breakaway mount. The wire type mounted on eyeglasses can gouge the eye in a fall. Some helmets come with visors, but these are not tested for shattering or snagging in a fall. However, helmets must be removed before climbing on playground equipment or trees, where a helmet can snag and choke them. The bicycle helmets may be used safely for inline skating, rollerblades, and for scooters.

Helmets should be replaced under certain conditions. The following are included as best practice guidelines for helmet replacement. A helmet should be replaced if it is made from the 1970's, does not have a plastic exterior, is not labeled with a CPSC, ASTM, or Snell Sticker. The ANSI- labeled helmets should be destroyed, not left by the roadside to be recycled or sold at garage sales. A helmet should also be replaced if it has been in a crash as the impact crushes some of the foam and this damage may not be visible. Most manufacturers recommend replacement after 5 years. The buckle should be replaced if it cracks or if a piece breaks off. A helmet should never be worn if it cannot be made to fit correctly.

To find the approximate head size, the head should be measured just above the eyebrows with a measuring tape. The head circumference should then be used to identify the "hat size" and then the size of the helmet. The following table will be useful:

Head Circumference (inches)

Hat Size

Helmet Size (approximate)

20 ½"

6 ½

Toddler

20 ¾"

6 5/8

Small

21 ¼"

6 ¾

Medium

21 5/8"

6 7/8

Medium

22"

7

Medium

22 3/8"

7 1/8

Medium

22 ¾"

7 ¼

Large

25 7/8"

8 ¼

Bell Kinghead Helmet

An excellent brochure entitled Your Bicycle Helmet: A Correct Fit is available free of charge from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. This brochure, which is may be reprinted, items the "Five-Step Helmet Fit Test". This brochure may be downloaded and printed from the internet. The brochure (item # 6P0082 may be found on page 32 of the Traffic Safety Materials Catalog found at the NHTSA web site. It may be ordered in quantities of 50 per request from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, U. S. Department of Transportation, Media and Marketing Division, NTS-21, 400 7th Street, SW, Washington, D.C. 20590, Fax: (202) 493-2062 or on-line ordering: http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov.

References:

  1. Arizona Child Care Resource and Referral available at http://arizonachildcare.org/childproof/bicyclesfty.html 
  2. Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute available at http://www.bhsi.org
  3.  Publications by the American Academy of Pediatrics:
  4. TIPP: The Injury Prevention Program: A guide to Safety Counseling in Office Practice
  5. Policy Reference Guide of the American Academy of Pediatrics
  6. Injury Prevention and control for Children and Youth
  7.  U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and search "bike helmets" will give a list of recalls of bike helmets. Available at http://www.cpsc.gov
  8.  CPSC Releases Bicycle Safety Tips: http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml97/97138.html
  9.  National Association of Governors Highway Safety Representatives available at http://www.injuryfree.org/safety_tips.cfm
  10.  Samelson S, "How to Adjust a Bike Helmet to Your Head." Available at http://www.ehow.com/how_14611_adjust-bike-helmet.html
  11.  National Highway Safety Traffic Administration (NHTSA) available at http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov
  12.  National SafeKids Campaign web site: http://www.safekids.org/tips/tips_bike.htm