Use your head on a bicycle

When bicycle accidents begin happening in clusters, it's time for a wake-up call.

Two back-to-back biking accidents last week left Salt Lake area children with serious head trauma. An 8-year-old flipped his bike at a park and a 14-year-old crashed while trying to leap a curb.

The accidents have prompted law enforcement and safety officials to push a little harder this summer for more bicycle awareness.

Checking tires, brakes and handlebars before riding off is always important. Attending one of the "bike rodeos" offered for young riders can also be a plus (call 468-3901).

But far and away the key to bike safety has to do with wearing a helmet.

Every year, around 940 bicyclists are hit by automobiles in Utah. Seven of those people die, making Utah 10th on the national list of bike deaths. And a big reason is kids are not wearing helmets. A helmet can up the odds of survival by as much as 85 percent.

The upside is things are getting better. Not long ago only 3 percent of the state's elementary school kids wore helmets. That number is up to 20 percent now. (Almost 40 percent of adults don a helmet).

The downside is 95 percent of Utah high school students still are riding bikes bareheaded. And 30 percent of those who do wear helmets wear them incorrectly.

The reason is kids can be a bit lax. Some will wear helmets when riding to school but not around the neighborhood. Somehow they feel that biking around the block is safer. And then the traditional resistance to helmets can be seen in the antagonism toward motorcycle helmet laws and seat-belt laws over the years in the state. Westerners can be hard-headed.

The problem is their heads are never strong enough to weather a violent crash.

Interestingly, 75 percent of bike accidents involve young males — boys who tend to watch danger sports on television and try to imitate the tricks of the pros.

A better role model would be a parent who insists on wearing a bicycle helmet at all times and insists young family members do so, too.

When it comes to accidents, being listed among the top 10 states is never good — and being there for accidents that easily could be prevented is even more distressing.

We encourage families and individuals to take bicycle safety on as a goal during the summer months ahead.