With the last of the snow from the blizzard of 2009 slowly melting away, children will soon be wanting to get outside with some of their Christmas bounty. If your household is like mine, at least one of your kids got something from someone that they can ride.
Riding toys were always my favorites, whether it was a tricycle, bicycle, big wheel, scooter or skateboard, riding toys were always, and still are, GREAT fun! But that fun can come at a price, and the price can sometimes be a trip to the Emergency Room, especially if your child is not wearing a helmet.
The latest data from the Consumer Product Safety Commission indicates that riding toys, including non-motorized toys, are associated with more Emergency Room visits among all ages of children (67,700 or 26%) than any other catagory of toy. Non-motorized scooters accounted for over 51,000 (83%) of riding toy related injuries. Almost 50% of the Emergeny Room treated injuries were to the head and face area.
Preventing injuries to youngsters is not always possible, but as parents we can help minimize the risk of serious injury by requiring our kids to at least wear a helmet when on their riding toys. Bicycle helmets reduce the risk of serious head and brain injuries by almost 90%. Teach your kids that safety comes first. Please make them wear a helmet.