Does anyone know is a bike helmet could save a child's life if that child was hit by a car?

The Jolly

I know that bike helmets are essential and absolutely prevent head injuries when a child falls off a bike (assuming it fits properly and buckled, etc.)

But would a kid stand a chance if hit by a car and wearing a helmet?

In case your're wondering this question was prompted by an 8 year old being killed on his bike yesterday. He was riding with his father but he had no helmet on when a van struck him. :'(
Really? A helmet only protects the head? Well who whuda thunk it?

For chrissake, I know that. He died of a head injury. I'm asking if helmets are designed to protect in a big impact like that.

It's only dubious to a moron. I have my own child and these issues are important to me.

Answer
Sorry to hear of the accident, that's sad. I'm not good at delivering bad news, so please bear with me on this

Whilst it's tempting to say that "a helmet would have saved his life", it's not always the case. Bike helmets are made of polystyrene foam which is supposed to absorb some of the impact - essentially flattening the roundness of the head to make a bigger contact point at the point of impact, thus reducing the forces on that part of the head. As bicycling is an aerobic exercise (as opposed to motorcycling, which involves you sitting on the motorbike and not much else, at least activities-wise), a bicycle helmet needs to be ventilated or we'd overheat and pass out.

A bike helmet is supposed to be able to reduce injuries to a person falling off their bike from a height of <4 feet at a speed of <12mph. This essentially means a kid falling off his/her bike without any additional forces being exerted, as you've mentioned.

In the case of a van hitting the kid, this immediately takes the helmet out of its certification zone. This hurts to say this, but it's unlikely that the helmet would have made much difference given how they're designed to operate. One other thing to be aware of is that many helmet-certification tests allow the helmet to be taped to the test rig as well as strapped how it should be worn. This is clearly not something we'd do, and nor are we supposed to do it. When independently tested by a UK consumer magazine, many helmets failed to meet the standard (in this case EN1078, for Europe) they were supposedly certified to.

My thoughts and prayers are with his family.

What is the California state law on riding bikes with helmets?

thename's

In California, is it required by law to wear a helmet while riding within neighborhood zones only?
where can I find an online source that has more information on this?

Answer
Hey Thename,

Anyone under the age of 18 years of age has to wear a helmet while riding any bicycle, scooter, skates or skateboard on any PUBLIC roadway, highway, bicycle path or street. The key word is Public. If your neighborhood is located on a private roadway then the law does not apply on private land. Here is the California Vehicle Code section:

21212. (a) A person under 18 years of age shall not operate a bicycle, a nonmotorized scooter, or a skateboard, nor shall they wear in-line or roller skates, nor ride upon a bicycle, a nonmotorized scooter, or a skateboard as a passenger, upon a street, bikeway, as defined in Section 890.4 of the Streets and Highways Code, or any other public bicycle path or trail unless that person is wearing a properly fitted and fastened bicycle helmet that meets the standards of either the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) or the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), or standards subsequently established by those entities. This requirement also applies to a person who rides upon a bicycle while in a restraining seat that is attached to the bicycle or in a trailer towed by the bicycle.

(b) Any helmet sold or offered for sale for use by operators and passengers of bicycles, nonmotorized scooters, skateboards, or in-line or roller skates shall be conspicuously labeled in accordance with the standard described in subdivision (a) which shall constitute the manufacturer's certification that the helmet conforms to the applicable safety standards.

(c) No person shall sell, or offer for sale, for use by an operator or passenger of a bicycle, nonmotorized scooter, skateboard, or in-line or roller skates any safety helmet which is not of a type meeting requirements established by this section.

(d) Any charge under this subdivision shall be dismissed when the person charged alleges in court, under oath, that the charge against the person is the first charge against that person under this subdivision, unless it is otherwise established in court that the charge is not the first charge against the person.

(e) Except as provided in subdivision (d), a violation of this section is an infraction punishable by a fine of not more than twenty-five dollars ($25).

The parent or legal guardian having control or custody of an unemancipated minor whose conduct violates this section shall be jointly and severally liable with the minor for the amount of the fine imposed pursuant to this subdivision.

(f) Notwithstanding Section 1463 of the Penal Code or any other provision of law, the fines collected for a violation of this section shall be allocated as follows:

(1) Seventy-two and one-half percent of the amount collected shall be deposited in a special account of the county health department, to be used for bicycle, nonmotorized scooter, skateboard, and in-line and roller skate safety education and for assisting low-income families in obtaining approved bicycle helmets for children under the age of 18 years, either on a loan or purchase basis. The county may contract for the implementation of this program, which, to the extent practicable, shall be operated in conjunction with the child passenger restraint program pursuant to Section 27360.

(2) Two and one-half percent of the amount collected shall be deposited in the county treasury to be used by the county to administer the program described in paragraph (1).

(3) If the violation occurred within a city, 25 percent of the amount collected shall be transferred to and deposited in the treasury of that city. If the violation occurred in an unincorporated area, this 25 percent shall be deposited and used pursuant to paragraph (1).

Added Ch. 1000, Stats. 1993. Effective January 1, 1994.
Amended Sec. 6, Ch. 674, Stats. 1996. Effective January 1, 1997.
Amended Sec. 1, Ch. 475, Stats. 2002. Effective January 1, 2003.

Kimber

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What do you think of a parent who tows a 2-seat bike trailer ( 2 yr + 3 yr kids in it) on a busy road?

bike zone helmets image

honesty_co

I know of a gentleman who regularly drives his bike on a busy 4-lane road, a road that during most of the times is packed with heavy trucks and 18-wheelers whizzing by at 50 to 60 miles per hour. He says that roads are build for bicycles also and that a bicycle has every right to be on the road, as much as the cars and trucks also. Problem is, it is an old road, and when two transports are side-by-side they are so close they almost touch each other !

Not only that, but he pulls behind him a 2-seater bike trailer, one where his 2 year old son and 3 year old daughter sit, side-by-side. that trailer must be about 4 feet wide, and because of the potholes, he often has to drive not very close to the curb, all the while pedaling at about 5 to 10 miles per hour (crawling, in other words).

My question is this: Do you feel he is risking the life of himself and his kids by riding on such a road? How long do you think he will last?
What is left of a child carrying bike trailer when a 60 ton transport hits the child-trailer at 60 miles per hour?

And what do you think of such a parent who does this?

--

(personally: I own a folding bike, and I ride on the sidewalks (rather slowly also), and when I am within about 30 feet of a pedestrian on the sidewalk, I either stop completely and get off my bike to walk past them, or I simply get totally off the sidewalk to go around him, either on the grass, or onto the road when it is safe to do so (no cars). Sidewalks are for people, so I always get the heck off of them when there are people nearby. However, I'm usually doing only about 5 mph, and sometimes even joggers on the sidewalk pass me by, that is how slow i am on the sidewalks. )

I drive on the sidewalks because I have a relative that died 12 years ago while riding on the road. He had reflectors, helmet, tail light, headlight, bell, everything. He was riding within 24 inches of the curb when he was hit from behind by a car doing 110 in a 50 zone. He was dead before his body even hit the ground, and his body was in multiple pieces when it did hit the ground. Since then, I drive on the sidewalks only, slowly too, so as not to be dangerous to any pedestrians. The roads scare me to death.

Oh yes, I own two cars also, but I like to drive a bike for the exercise, to try to be more healthy, that's all.

Answer
Q. What do you think of a parent who tows a 2-seat bike trailer ?
A. Cool dad!

At least he follows the Law, not like you.

What is driving a motorcycle like on the highway?

James Fran

I'm turning 16 in just a few months so I've become very serious about getting my m1 and then m2 and my motorbike. I am fine to drive her oncity roads and such but my question is what is it like on the highway? It's a Kawasaki ninja 250. I make 4 or 5 annual Ottawa-Toronto trips (400Km each way). How dangerous is this? How comfortable or uncomfortable is this? Any other info is useful. Thanks.

Answer
I have a particular reason I watch the news for motorcyclists who are killed in the US/UK/IE. Approximately 8 people a day are severely injured or outright killed on motorbikes from June 1st to September 1st. That's what I estimate, not a statistic.

Two things to watch for, the two top ways to get yourself killed are, hitting curbs and having cars turn or merge into you.

If you're riding in the evenings and at night curbs are harder to see. On a bike you can't 'correct' like you might in a car and once the mistake is made the outcome is a matter of luck. Even with a helmet, rattling or impacting your brain will leave lifelong effect.

Always assume other drivers DO NOT SEE YOU even if you 'feel' they're looking at you. They don't see motorbikes headlights and signals, they just don't. You have to be defensively ready for every vehicle near your zone.

Lane changers find it hard to see you, until it's too late. Don't stay close in front or behind lorries because cars coming around don't see you at all. Protect your lane, be ready to accelerate out of a zone, always know what your next move will be. Watch what's behind you, especially after sunset where your tail lights blend with tail lights of traffic ahead of you, they can't see your body at all.

The KAW Ninja is not the best choice for traffic and not just because it's under-powered for traffic. I love sport bikes (own a Ducati Monster), however, 'leaning over' is not an ideal traffic position, with a full face helmet, when you have to see every car's movement to be safest. The police will also watch you closely, because they know in traffic it's harder for you to slow down due to downshifting and you're likely to over-accelerate, moving way too fast for conditions and others can't react.

I'm not discouraging you only to point out you have great responsibility to arrive alive when you're on a bike in traffic, whether you're 16 or 60. I've been around the loss of life on bikes and it's a horrible, helpless way to die. We love our sport and our bikes but remember it's a sport 1st and Transportation 2nd. Remember.

I might not have the 'Best Answer' for you but I'm glad you asked this question, shows maturity. You will do fine out there.

Good luck rider.

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