Bicycle Helmet Safety Tips
Summit Police Department
The Summit Police Department is sharing bicycle helmet safety tips and information for riders of all ages.
According to the New Jersey Division of Highway Traffic Safety, head injury is the most serious injury type and the most common cause of death among bicyclists. The National Injury Prevention Foundation reports that nearly 70% of all fatal bicycle crashes involve head injuries and that bicycle helmets have been estimated to reduce the risk for head injuries by approximately 85%.
“Although New Jersey law requires everyone 17 years of age and younger to wear a helmet while riding a bike, we strongly encourage all riders to use one every time they ride to help protect themselves from injury,” explains Summit Police Chief Steven Zagorski. “To keep yourself and other bicyclists and motorists safe while on the road, we also ask that you obey traffic laws, use hand signals, and utilize reflective clothing and flashing bike lights at night. Bicyclists should follow the rules of the road and ride in the same direction as traffic, on the right-hand side of the road.”
The Summit Police Department is sharing the following tips from the CDC for wearing a properly fitting helmet:
• The helmet should fit snugly all around and directly over the forehead, with about two fingers of space between the eyebrows and bottom of the front of the helmet.
• The side straps should form a “V” under the ears when buckled.
• The chin strap should be centered under the chin and fit snugly so that no more than one or two fingers fit between the chin and the strap. When you open your mouth wide, as if in a big yawn, the chinstrap and helmet should be snug. Once the chinstrap is fastened, the helmet should not move in any direction.
• Helmets should be replaced after a crash or when they no longer fit properly.
• Bicycle helmets are different from those for other activities such as skateboarding and rollerblading.
• Watch a bicycle helmet fit test video from Safe Kids atsafekids.org/video/safety-seconds-bike-helmets.
For more information on the Summit Police Department and other safety tips, visit cityofsummit.org/police.
