Weekly Health Page Articles: Emergency/Trauma Center

The Rules of the Road

Biking causes more visits to the emergency room for children ages 5 to 14 than any other sport, according to statistics from the National Injury Prevention Foundation. Some accidents are so serious that children die – usually from head injuries.

"Wearing a helmet at all times is rule number one," says Robert Grayhek, BSN, RN, TNS, trauma services manager at Saint Francis Medical Center and regional co-director of ThinkFirst, a national program of youth education and traumatic injury prevention. "It doesn't matter if you're in the driveway, on the road or on a trail."

Other tips to safe biking include:

• Obey the rules of the road. Stop at all stop signs and red lights, use hand signals when turning and ride on the right-hand side of the road.
• Look both ways before crossing an intersection.
• Wear bright clothing to be more noticeable. If riding after dark, have reflectors on your bike, helmet and clothing.
• Keep your bike in good mechanical condition.

From Weekly Health Page: June 4, 2006