Cycling Helmets Belong on Parents’ Heads Too

Children almost always wear helmets when they cycle, but many parents do not. That is a mistake, argues Helsingin Sanomat reader Jukka Aalto, because a serious injury to a parent could also affect the child’s life.

Aalto says he has fallen twice while cycling, without colliding with a car. In both cases, he believes his helmet protected him from more serious injury, leaving him with only a mild concussion.

The first fall happened when his front wheel struck a hard-to-see dip in the asphalt. In the second, a norovirus infection had already affected his coordination, and he failed to cross a curb successfully.

Aalto cites a 2018 meta-analysis reporting that bicycle helmets reduced head injuries by 48 percent, serious head injuries by 60 percent, traumatic brain injuries by 53 percent, facial injuries by 23 percent, and the number of cyclists killed or seriously injured by 34 percent.