bikes with helmets?

Hi there! I was reading a few posts and saw people mentioning that children should wear helmets with bikes, really? I live in Hong Kong and no kid wears a helmet. I wonder if I'll be able to get the girls to wear them if no other kids are wearing them? Any suggestions!

They just turned 2 years old and have trikes already. (do we need helmets for that??)

 

We used helmets on trikes, mostly to get them used to wearing them. In the US, I think it is law for anyone under 18 to wear a helmet while riding a bike, so all the kids wear helmets on bikes. In fact, Marcus won't ride his bike right now because he isn't comfortable with the fit of his helmet.

 

We have them wear helmets with their trikes, mainly so they are used to having to wear them. They are not fond of the helmet when it is really hot and they are in the bike trailer though.

 

QUOTE(sharongl @ Dec 1 2008, 04:41 AM) [snapback]1091730[/snapback]
We used helmets on trikes, mostly to get them used to wearing them. In the US, I think it is law for anyone under 18 to wear a helmet while riding a bike, so all the kids wear helmets on bikes. In fact, Marcus won't ride his bike right now because he isn't comfortable with the fit of his helmet.

Yep, actually in our area it's the law for everyone to wear helmets on bikes. (This is subject to state law and local ordinance, so it varies within the US, but I doubt there's anyplace left where it's not at least the law for kids to wear helmets.) FYI, it's a relatively new thing - nobody wore helmets when I was a kid (except one kid whose mom was an ER nurse and saw countless kids for bike injuries).

Our boys are getting trikes this year, and we plan to have them wear helmets with them. I don't think they have far enough to fall to do any real damage, but we want to get them used to the fact that every time they are on wheels, they need a helmet. A bright line rule like that seems easier to enforce, and easier to be habit-inducing. I hope. :huh: I have no idea if the law is broad enough to require kids to wear helmets on trikes, but regardless we're doing it for those reasons.

 

I live in Mexico and my girls are the only ones with helmuts and only because they have a "crazy gringo" mom.. :lol:

One bikes and even trikes a fall could cause a bad head injury. Obviously we all made it to adult hood with out helmuts, but we also didn't have car seats or use seatbelts when we were growing up. If we can prevent and injury and still let them have fun then I think we should. A helmut is a small thing that you probably will never need but if you do it will be a big help. Now it may be harder as my girls get older and all the other kids aren't wearing them, but right now they are cool and the other little kids wish they had helmuts because they are sparkly purple and make them look like race car drivers!

If your front trike wheel turns to a 90 degree angle or completely around then I would definately make them wear helmuts as the trike can easily tip. If you have one with a stop that keeps the from wheel from turning more than 45 degrees than they probably will not fall.

 

We dont have trikes only bikes but yes they would have worn them with trikes aswell. I have seen kids fall off trikes and get very badly hurt. No sense in not protecting your child if you have the means to do so. We are considering getting the boys skates this year aswell and they will wear a helmet when they skate aswell.

The boys will not step foot on their bike without their helmet on. When I used to nanny b/c the parents of the child I watched did not decide until he was 6 to make him wear a helmet he threw a fit eveytime. With my kids it just comes natural like putting shoes on before going outside.

Good Luck!

 

we always use helmets for trikes too. Better safe than sorry.

 

Our kids have worn helmets since the first time they used their trikes. They wear them at school too. Sure, they aren't going that fast and they probably wouldn't get hurt if they fell off, but the idea is to get them in the habit as early as possible so they never question it. Most kids here (and lots of adults) also wear helmets for skiing.

It would definitely be harder if you were in a place where people didn't wear helmets, though.

 

We did not use them for trikes and had no problem transitioning to using them for bikes. I don't know why I didn't do it for trikes, just didn't think of it I guess. Ironically, I bought my niece a trike for her birthday this past summer and I bought her a helmet too and she must wear it to ride. I think it was one of those naive mommy things where it just never crossed my mind until we got to bikes and the law.

 

We use them for bikes, trikes and scooters. Better to be safe than sorry! And if/when they start skiing, they'll use helmets for that as well.

 

I have to add my short story related to this topic. I also was having my kids wear their helmuts when they were riding their trikes just to get them used to wearing a helmut when on a bike. However, one afternoon one of my boys was on his trike and was backing it up with his feet when the back wheels hit something causing my son and his bike to flip over backwards. The thunk of his head hitting the cement was loud enough that I was very glad he had his helmut on. After seeing and hearing that "accident" I do believe a child can get a head injury on a tricycle.

 

QUOTE(ehm @ Dec 1 2008, 09:36 AM) [snapback]1092227[/snapback]
We did not use them for trikes and had no problem transitioning to using them for bikes. I don't know why I didn't do it for trikes, just didn't think of it I guess. Ironically, I bought my niece a trike for her birthday this past summer and I bought her a helmet too and she must wear it to ride. I think it was one of those naive mommy things where it just never crossed my mind until we got to bikes and the law.


Same here. But I think the law in CA is anything with wheels, so really we should have!

 

thanks so much for answering everyone. I'll make sure we get some helmets in from USA ready for them when they turn 3 and we get them bikes, we can talk about the 'cool' element

 

My kids wear helmets when they will be on anything with wheels.

I was not keen on the idea and my husband would not hear of letting them ride without. After a few falls I was convinced.