Written by Paralegal, Rayna Peters

This morning, a 12 year old boy in Brevard County is in serious condition at Arnold Palmer Hospital after an accident on his bicycle ended with the bike’s handlebars impaling his stomach area. Fire rescue offices have stated that the boy was airlifted to the hospital, but have not released his name.

As a parent, when I think about bicycle safety, my mind immediately jumps to the horror stories of car crashes and bicycles, or traffic safety rules they teach you in elementary school. The reality is that bicycle injuries, in any form, are far more common than we realize. In fact, more children ages 5 to 14 are seen in hospital emergency rooms for injuries related to biking than any other sport.

According to the National SAFE KIDS Campaign (NSKC), bicycles are associated with more childhood injuries than any other consumer product except the automobile. In 2001, 134 children ages 14 and under died in bicycle-related crashes. Head injury is the leading cause of death in bicycle crashes and is the most important determinant of bicycle related death and permanent disability. Head injuries account for more than 60 percent of bicycle-related deaths, more than two-thirds of bicycle-related hospital admissions and about one-third of hospital emergency room visits for bicycling injuries. In 2002, nearly 288,900 children ages 14 and under were treated in hospital emergency rooms for bicycle-related injuries. Nearly half (47 percent) of children ages 14 and under hospitalized for bicycle-related injuries are diagnosed with a traumatic brain injury. It is estimated that collisions with motor vehicles account for nearly 90 percent of all bicycle related deaths and 10 percent of all nonfatal bicycle-related injuries.

As is evidenced by the injuries sustained by the little boy from Titusville, children can be seriously hurt from colliding with handlebars during a fall, even in low-speed bike crashes. One national study of seriously injured bicyclists found that handlebar impacts accounted for 22 % of injuries among non-head-injured children.

The total annual cost of traffic-related bicyclist death and injury among children ages 14 and under is more than $2.2 billion. A review of hospital discharge data in Washington state found that treatment for nonfatal bicycle injuries among children ages 14 and under costs more than $113 million each year, an average of $218,000 per injured child.

The single most effective safety device available to reduce head injury and death from bicycle crashes is a helmet. Helmet use reduces the risk of bicycle-related death and injury and the severity of head injury when a crash occurs. Unfortunately, national estimates report that bicycle helmet use among child bicyclists ranges only from 15 to 25 percent. It is estimated that 75 percent of fatal head injuries among child bicyclists could be prevented with a bicycle helmet.

So what can we do to help keep our children from becoming one these many statistics? The number one answer is: EDUCATE THEM! Teach them the importance of wearing a helmet at all times. Teach them how to be safe near traffic, even if it’s only the street in front of your home. Teach them hand signals and how to be aware of their surroundings. Supervise them closely while they use a bicycle. Adult supervision is essential until the traffic skills and judgment thresholds are reached by each child. Until then, you are their greatest means of protection.

If your child, or a child under your supervision is injured in a bicycle accident, seek medical attention immediately. Often, injuries such as concussions, organ injury, or internal bleeding are not immediately evident, but can become life-threatening very quickly. If a motor vehicle is involved, be sure to contact law enforcement; and, as early as possible, seek the assistance of a personal injury attorney to protect the rights of your child.