speaking of bikes and helmets

[pumba]

in our state.....it is supposedly mandatory for all kids under the age of 16 to wear helmets when they are riding their bikes.......always been a rule in our house ....so didn't bother us when the rule became a law.......Francois ....kaitlynn and Zacharys daddy.....runs a bike store in our town and he wears one....and he is one big tough looking dude.....Now onto seatbelts........my nephew died 9 years ago last week from not wearing a seatbelt.......the state troopers had told my sister that if he had been wearing one he would of lived.........I never wore mine until then........and now I think it is automatic to do it.....in our state.....everyone has to be buckled up now.....what do you do.....are you all safe........

 

[PandyPaws]

Odd you should post this today, Pumba...as I just finished a go-round on the subject with older DS...who wanted to ride his Scooter, but I realized his helmet is too small for him this year. I veto'd the idea until we can shop for a new one, and he was none too happy abou it!
I stand by my decision though, too easy for accidents to happen and you only get one head!!

So sorry about your nephew I wasn't an avid seatbelt user until I had kids. (never mind the fact that I fell out of a moving vehicle when I was 4 ) Now my car doesnt go unless everyone is buckled up!!

 

[Jillpie]

My sons, ages 9, 10 and almost 15 know this...

Bike riding means HELMET, END OF STORY. They have never tried not to wear their helmet, as a matter of fact, I think it would feel very foreign to them if their helmet wasn't on. My 15 yr. old would rather walk now then be seen with a helmet. But even at 15, I won't allow him to get on a bike without one and he knows this. NO kids around here wear their helmets!! It amazes me. It saved his life once when he was little.
Seat belts are the same, they know I don't leave the driveway without all of them on, period. Them's the rules!!

 

[laceemouse]

I'm sorry about your nephew also. Remember the days when cars did not even have seat belts? Maybe I am older than you guys but back in the 60's we just stood up on the car seats or laid across the back window! I started wearing seat belts when I started driving. Now with kids I am super cautious about seat belts, helmets, stranger danger, everything! You just can never be too careful!! Lacee

 

[mrsv98]

We have started from the beginning with DD. At 3, she doesn't ride a bike yet, but she does ride behind me in the "chariot" and wears her helmet. She associates helmets and bicycles and I am hoping it will be a natural progression for her when she starts riding a bike. The only problem we have is that she has a big head! Last summer, at age 2, I had to get her a helmet for a 5 year old!

Car seat is the same thing. She has started fussing at times about being buckled up, but it is non-negotiable, everyone buckles up. My BIL lets my small for her age niece bounce around unbuckled and it makes me NUTS! She is nine, but tiny and really should be in a booster seat. Unfortunately, she is rarely even in a seatbelt. ARGH!

 

[Mskanga]

If you ride the bike or scooter, you wear the helmet , no doubts about that. My car has a feature that if all the seatbelts are not buckled for the people sitting in the car, it doesn't move

 

[cgcw]

DS8 is the only one of his friends who wears a bike helmet. Although his friends are patient as he's getting ready to go riding, I can see by their faces they just don't get it. Although they only ride around the block, on the sidewalk no less, it's always on.

DS3 is tougher. His head is big and we have a hard time getting a helmet on, let alone off. We do need to get a bit tougher on him about it.

Kids are never in the car without seatbelts. My step-daughter, many years ago, was the one who got me wearing one. We'd get in the car and she'd "remind" me that I hadn't put it on. If I just went through the motions and didn't really do it, she's tell me so. It got easier to just wear it. Now, I put it on just to move the car off the driveway. And, the younger crowd is always in their carseats. There is no reason they shouldn't be. As a daycare provider, I'm strapping 5 or 6 in at a crack, so I hate when people say "it's to much work and I'm just going a short distance". I just get it.

Sorry about your nephew. How tragic.

 

[Breezy_Carol]

My kids started wearing helmets when riding their tricycles. Just got them in the habit early.

EVERYONE in my car will wear a seatbelt. Once I was taking DS and friends somewhere and I asked if everyone was belted in and got a yes. I later found that one of the boys in the rear-facing third seat had only pulled his belt across and not fastened it. I was furious. What is the point of that? Luckily, he isn't a friend any more so I don't have to worry about him.

 

[cgcw]

I thought of another thing with seatbelts. I've heard stories of people doing what they call "double buckling" where they have two kids (or maybe more??) who are bigger than the carseat/booster age and they will strap them together in one seat belt. They do this on their ways to birthday parties or events when they don't have enough seats for everyone. When my son goes somewhere with a friend, I always make sure there are enough seats for everyone. I'll be more than happy to drive him myself otherwise.

 

[Tiger Lily 03]

I have very strong feelings in favor wearing bike helmets and car seatbelts and in my mind it is not debatable. Preaching here so don't read if you don't want the lecture.

My happy place is on the bicycle trail near us. My DH and I will always wear our bike helmets. We both have read a local article from a young man who was injured and brain damaged because he chose to not wear his helmet. He now visits local schools and groups to discuss the merits of wearing that helmet. DH has taken a spill and was glad he had the helmet. When both of our DS used to ride with us, our older refused to wear and younger did because we had control of him yet. Older just stopped going with us since I nagged and insisted. Both DS no longer ride bicycles…prefer the car thing. It should also be noted that the bike helmets should fit and not be just hanging on loosely.

Now the seat belt in the car issue is a major issue too. I have chased after my sons when I have observed someone in the car not wearing the belt. (Got in my car and followed them ‘til they arrived at their destination) I insist on seeing all passengers in the cars coming in and going out of our drive belted. They all get the mom lecture. They may think I am a crazy lady, but I at least know for a bit of time that they have worn their belt. Before we left the drive when I was the parent driving I waited for the click. Sometimes I would even do the tug the belt check for all in the car. If they tried to fool me, they were told that was the last time they would be invited into my vehicle (one warning given). I have even told mine that I best not catch them in a car with their friends or parents of their friends when mine did not have their belt on. I told them that the information is noted on an accident report and they would not ever be permitted to go anywhere if I did not do the driving thereafter.

Having worked in a police department and having information first hand when seeing what happens when someone is not wearing their seatbelt one would never question the need of them. You just wear the belt! I hear the individuals who say their choice is to not wear a belt. My response is that I then feel it is your choice to therefore not be covered by insurance when your injuries are so severe that a belt would have prevented those injuries. You made the choice. My/our insurance rates go up because of people who will not wear their belts. I feel that payment for their damage or injuries should not be allowed because the safety equipment was available and the free choice was made to not wear the equipment. People should be hit in the moneybag as well if injuries occur through their negligence of not wearing the belt.

 

[pumba]

ours are from infants to adults..they just placed a new type of children....up tp age 4 car seat or a certain weight.then booster seats to age 8.then back seat up to age 12.unless no back seatbelts....and then everyone belted