Are Heely's really dangerous?

[disneybound2010]

I don' think Heelys are any more dangerous than the rollerskates, bikes or whatever else there is out there that have wheels. Proper protective gear and the child should be fine.

That being said, I think the only people that are at risk from the Heelys are the unsuspecting people in malls and on a street that have the unpleasant experience of being barrelled over by those wearing them. Banned or not, I have been run into a wall and knocked on my butt by a couple of kids racing in the mall. Believe me, the parents were VERY lucky there was no real harm done to me. Had there been, those parents would not have been happy having to pay for my Dr. bills as well as having to put out money to have those things surgically removed from the kids' backsides

 

[mamalle]

Im not ever going to buy them for my kids maybe its just the ER nurse in me but they are a accident waiting to happen- not too mention where will they wear them?? pretty much banned everywhere here. Id rather spend the money on roller blades with their safety gear and helmet..

 

[Luv Bunnies]

I find them very dangerous when used in public places, not to mention annoying. They should be treated as roller skates and not used any place where you wouldn't wear skates. I've seen too many kids in malls and stores an on crowded public sidewalks using Heelys in a reckless manner. They expect you to move out of their way just because they have wheels in their shoes.

 

[hrh_disney_queen]

My son has never had them, but I know several schools in my area ban kids from wearing them to school.

Just from personal experience, I can't stand to see kids in stores with them. To me, they seem like an accident waiting to happen !

I hate them too. The parents of the kids in the stores and other public buildings are usually right there with the kiddo, allowing them to zip in and out and becoming a nuisance at best, but like you said an accident waiting to happen.

I am 100% certain that my boys would hurt themselves or someone else on these things. I am so glad they have no interest.

Heelys are definitely more dangerous than roller skates, just by the fact that they are always on the kids feet as shoes. I have never seen a kid wearing roller skates in a mall, but I have seen quite a few heelys.

Just wondering..I have seen the little neighbor girl wearing them, and it doesn't look like (when they are shoes) her foot is in a correct walking position. Is she just wearing them wrong? It seemed like her heel was elevated slightly, like a low high heel and the wheels weren't in all the way. I don't know this either, but it seems that logically they would be heavier than a normal shoe..?

 

[mountdew1]

WDW has banned them too.

But yet I believe the kids races at the marathon were sponsored by Heelies last year. Go figure.

They are as dangerous as any toy that allows for motion. More people will get injured while using the heelies since they don't wear protective gear.

 

[Misty89]

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[tar heel]

I don't have a problem with the shoes if they're at a skating rink or in the driveway, but it really annoys me to get run down by some kid in the grocery store. I think parents who let their kids use them at malls, in the grocery store, etc., need their heads examined.

 

[hambirg]

My daughter wanted a pair badly so my ex-inlaws bought her a pair. She was about 8 at the time. Let me say, she's not particularly well coordinated, but she didn't have any problems learning to use them. My nephew gave my son his pair when he didn't want them anymore. He did fine with them too. I don't think they are any worse than a bike or other things we buy our kids that they can potentially get hurt with. I will say that the novelty wore off quickly though and my kids lost interest in them fairly quickly. I was glad that I wasn't the one who shelled out the money for them. HTH

ETA: I always made my kids put the wheels up when we went into the store. I had visions of them stumbling and pulling down an entire end display of toilet paper or something. LOL!

 

[pooh98378]

My brother had them when he was small (like 10 yrs) and had no problem with them. However, he decided to buy some new ones when he was 17 and was being all daredevilish on them, thinking he was so cool... he ended up in the ER with a broken collarbone. (FWIW, the accident occurred on a path in a park.)

 

[CarolA]

Well....

"The US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) said injuries from Heelys caused 1,600 emergency hospital visits last year. This was quadruple the number of visits in 2005."

And if your child plows into me and injures me I hope you have excellent insurance. I am sure that I will have "pain and suffering" LOL!

They should not be used in stores or at Disney. Crowds and roller skating don't mix!!!

 

[janni518]

I just retired from a large pediatrics office (with about 3,000 patients)and I can honestly tell that I don't recall anyone ever coming in with an injury because of heelies.

Now I'm not saying it never happens and of course you should teach your children caution but...with that may patients if it was an overwhelming problem I'm sure we'd have seen at least a few.

 

[disneyoverload]

I think they are more dangerous than rollerblades and such. They are presented in a way that seems less dangerous to kids, so kids are likely to use less caution. My cousin broke her arm because of using her heelys on her driveway, and she was 11 when that happened. She was wearing a helmet, elbow pads, knee pads, etc. It would be just the same to buy rollerblades and save a little money rather than buying heelys. So many places ban wearing them that it would be a hassle to take them anywhere while wearing them.

 

[disneynuts777]

My 2 DD's have them and since they have pretty much been banned everywhere....malls,school,etc.
Both of them wear them if they are playing outside and at the park. The youngest loves to wear them to the hockey arena before and after her games and practices.
Niether DD has had an accident in them.
I will tell you that they do leave awful marks on ceramic tile floors

 

[rparmfamily]

Oh good god I HATE THEM. Luckily my children will never have them, LOL.

My neighbor is a corpman (medic in the military) and they do see injuries from falls due to Healy's. He also warns against trampolines but that's another post, LOL.

 

[MDTerrapin]

My boys loved theirs but they only used them around the neighborhood. My son also broke his arm using them but he coudl have done that on his boke.

Karen

 

[rparmfamily]

My boys loved theirs but they only used them around the neighborhood. My son also broke his arm using them but he coudl have done that on his boke.

Karen

My 4 yr old broke his arm on a Little Tikes baby slide, LOL... So true accidents can happen anytime.
He jumped off the top...about 3 ft in the air? Just landed wrong.

 

[momto2inKC]

My kids have them and are both getting a new pair for Christmas. I do not allow them to wear them when we go anywhere. Heelys are just like bikes, roller skates, scooters, etc... You wouldn't ride one of those through a store, the Heelys are no different. My kids wear theirs playing outside or go to the playground and basketball court at the school to skate. They are no more dangerous than any other 'mobile' toy for kids (bikes, skates, scooters, etc.).

 

[dakcp2001]

I saw on the news (in Massachusetts) a few months back a 13 year old was hit by a car and killed, and it was blamed on heelys. Not sure if he was new with them? I didnt know what they were at the time I saw the story so I am not sure how they led to him getting hit, or how they came to the conclusion that it was due to the heelys. Soon after they were banned everywhere in this area.

I do find them REALLY annoying at the supermarket, but I dont blame the heelys .......its not the shoe's fault the kids are running wild......just like anything else


Im sure skateboarding and rollerblading are just as dangerous, but I think there is a time and place for everything. I think they look fun. But not in the supermarket. lol.

 

[My2Cinderellas]

I personally have never witnessed a child wearing heelys and acting responsibly at the same time. It's like there is a switch in those dmn things that turns off the parts of their brain that control courtesy and personal responsibility. These are kids that are otherwise well behaved. but put them in heelys and look out. the need to skate in everyone's path takes over.

therefore my girls will not be getting them.

 

[DVC-Don]

Last year a boy on Heely's zipped past me yelling "Out of the way!!" in a grocery store and then crashed into the cold cut cooler. He actually fell into the cooler. The store now has a sign on the entry that Heely's are banned.