Achi news desk-
Our partners at Child Safety Link say helmets are an essential part of summer fun.
“We want to encourage kids to be outside and get involved with cycling or scooters, whatever they’re interested in, but we want them to be safe,” said Samantha Noseworthy of Child Safety Link in an interview with CTV’s Crystal Garrett on March.
In Nova Scotia, people of all ages are required by law to wear a helmet for their own safety says Noseworthy.
“We know that a well-fitting helmet can reduce the severity of a head injury by 60 per cent, so a very significant impact if you have the right helmet on,” he said.
Noseworthy said it’s important to make sure you use the right helmet for the activity.
“The important thing about a cycling helmet that makes it a bit different is that they are single impact. That means if your child falls and hits their head or drops their helmet on the concrete, you need to fit a new helmet even if the outside doesn’t look to damage,” he said.
“A multi-sport helmet is safe to use when cycling, but also if you have a child who likes skateboarding, scootering and rollerblading. The difference is that its effect is frequent. So you can fall and hit your head or drop the helmet several times and it remains safe to use,” he adds.
When buying used helmets, Noseworthy said it’s important to make sure you know the history of the helmet.
“You really don’t want to buy a second-hand helmet, unless you know the history of that helmet. The shape of the helmet can be compressed when you have an impact and that reduces the quality of the helmet,” he said.
Noseworthy was said to use the ‘2V1’ rule to ensure the helmet fits properly on the head.
“What we want is the width of two fingers between the bottom of the helmet and your eyebrow. The ‘V’ is going to be where the strap comes around your ear and should make a ‘V’ shape and join at the base of your earlobe. You should only be able to fit one finger between your chin and the strap,” he said.
It is also important to ensure that the helmet sits securely on the head.
“We don’t like to see hats under helmets. That can really affect fit. If your child has a ponytail, make sure the ponytail is low, under the bottom of the helmet so it doesn’t affect the way the helmet sits on your head,” says Noseworthy.
Noseworthy said to always check the owner’s manual when you buy a helmet, as it will show what activities the helmet is approved for.
