One of my grandsons began the "bicycle era" recently,
and thinking more like a grandfather rather than a pediatrician, I decided
to investigate on the risks and the safety measures that a bike brings
along. And even if I hope that he will never use a skateboard, I decided
to extend the subject and talk about these two "toys".
In a society full of paradoxes, we see how motorcyclists
wear a helmet and most cyclists never do. USA statistics show that there
were 600,000 bicycle accidents per year that required of emergency attention,
and 800 were fatal accidents. Head injuries were the main cause of death
in 80% of the cases. The majority of the cases were children or teenagers
that crashed against a fixed obstacle or a car in movement. En many countries
the mountain bike "boom" is probably going to increase these numbers.
A similar situation arises with the use of skateboards.
Accidents are very frequent, but 74% of the injuries are in the extremities,
usually a broken arm, and 21% are head injuries. The younger the child,
the greater the risk of a head trauma to occur. The majority of the fatal
accidents are caused by collision with a vehicle.
In Costa Rica, the problem is even greater, since there
are no exclusive areas for bicycles or skateboards in the parks, and the
children play on the streets, increasing the risk of a significant accident.
The recommendations given by the American Academy Committee
of Pediatrics for Injury Prevention are very clear and can be stated in
the following points:
-
All the cyclists, especially children and teenagers,
must wear a helmet that meets the regulations specified by the ANSI
or the Snell (the tag must specify this requirement) and very specially
children and adolescents.
-
Those using a skateboard must wear a special helmet,
knee and elbow protector.
-
It should be compulsory that parents buy the helmet
and protecting devices along with the bike or skateboard.
-
No child younger than 5 years of age is capable of
using a bike or a skateboard.
-
The skateboard should never be used on the street.
-
Parents, teachers, neighborhood associations and competent
authorities should ensure that this safety measures be abided.
-
It is necessary to organize educational campaigns,
involving the media, about the importance of the safety measures mentioned.
-
All parks and recreational areas should have appropriate
areas designated for the use of skateboards and bicycles.
We can see that support and collaboration from all of
us is needed in order for these safety measures to be followed, especially
we need the parents to realize the importance of them.
