30 Apr 2009

Bike helmets

A photo for Lisa - Jemimah in her bicycle helmet. Do Americans really not wear helmets?

6 comments:

  1. It's legislated here in California, but the states are boss in this, so not all states require it. Batty, isn't it?! If it's not law, most forgo. :/

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  2. Our children wear them. Massachusetts law requires that 16yrs. and under must wear a helmet when on bike, scooter, in-line skates, etc. I always wonder if that is why there are so few people on our bike trail.

    Never wore one myself as a child, did you?

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  3. Looks like Jemimah's enjoying herself on her bike! Great to see her outdoors as too many kids spend their time inside on video games etc.

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  4. Actually it's normally mandated in most suburban areas. My kids started out with them on at all times. I still PREFER they wear them. Our current neighborhood is very low traffic and helmet usage is pretty low. For my son, an X-games type bike and skateboarder he has to have a helmet. It is, of course, ditched when out of my sight, but he's 14.... I wear one, dorky or not, hot or not. I'm the sole breadwinner after all!! Also lower income and rural areas are significantly behind on this trend in my experience. Of course they were unheard of when we were kids and I lived thru a couple of terrifying accidents--happily no head injuries! Now the whole sun-hat thing is just darned cute to me! Except for flat-billed gangsta hats or baseball caps, it's normally only first-born toddlers with over-protective Mommy's who wear hats in the sun around here!! Sunscreen, however, is so common in some areas that the kids look like death--not even a tinge of tan! I've got one who burns and has learned so sunscreen is not a battle like the hats and helmets!

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  5. Here in New Zealand the law is that anyone must wear a helmet when cycling on the road, anything off-road is not covered. This law came in when I was a teenager (about 20 years ago!)

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  6. It is the same here in Victoria Rachael. It is rare to see even tough teens without a helmet around here. Theirs are trendy ones though.

    Notice that my overprotected daughter wears a helmet even when riding in her own backyard. In her defense, though, she is a novice, and spills are common. She mastered turning left quite easily and could ride anticlockwise circles all day. It was those dreaded clockwise cirles that she has only recently overcome.

    I think she looks cute. Safe+Cute=Winner IMHO!

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