Doctor On Call: Kids & Bike Riding

A lot of kids are out riding bikes this summer and Nurse Jami Spradlin, with Ascension St. John Medical Center, joined News On 6 to talk about how kids can stay safe while riding.

How dangerous is it for kids to ride without a helmet?

"It is actually dangerous. It is three times more likely to have a serious head injury by not wearing one versus wearing one. So I always say that kids learn by example. So adults, kids, anyone please put your helmet on. We also want you to make sure that it fits properly because if it doesn't fit right, it's not going to do as much good. So a good rule of thumb is, you know, it sets on your head right? If you shake it back and forth and it wiggles, it's too big. The you want it to be like you can do the finger test, two fingers above your eyebrow and that's where it should sit. Always make sure the chin strap is done. You can stick one finger in to make sure that it's not too tight, but not too loose. So that way you're making sure you're wearing a very secure helmet and you're going to protect the most precious thing, your brain," Spradlin explained.

What advice do you have for parents on getting their kids to wear helmets?

"I would say to try and let your kids pick out their helmets. You want it to be comfortable on them, they want it to look cool and I get that. So maybe if they have some input on what their helmet looks like, it might help them to want to wear it more," Spradlin said.

What do you say to adults not wearing helmets on bikes or motorcycles?

"We have seen, there's an uptake in the number of trauma patients we get because of motorcycle injuries and the percentage of without a helmet versus with a helmet. I mean, you're talking about your head hitting pavement without a helmet, there's no protection and so at least with a helmet on it distributes the force across it to reduce what's actually impacted by you. So I would encourage anyone, passenger and driver of motorcycles, please put a helmet on," Spradlin said.