Do your children wear helmets when riding a scooter?

Question

I would like to hear from parents who require their children to wear helmets when they ride bicycles.

We live in a large metropolitan area with lots of bad sidewalks and uneven terrain. Almost all the parents I know require their kids to wear helmets when riding bicycles. But only half of those make their kids wear helmets when they ride scooters.

My personal feeling is that even though you can't go as fast on scooters, the chances of hitting a crack and flipping over the handlebars of the scooter are just as great as having a bike accident. This is why I make my kids wear helmets when they scooter. But my kids think I'm ridiculous (they are 8) and whine about this constantly because their friends don't have to wear helmets when they scooter.

I say, too bad. If they want to risk serious head injuries when the prevention is so easy, then let them. But I won't risk that for my kids.

I'd be interested in hearing from other parents, and especially from people who have witnessed head injuries from bike and/or scooter accidents.

Answer 1

If it has wheels, it requires a helmet.  

Answer 2

it is the law where I am that they have them for bikes. So I make mine where them on the scooter too. If it has wheels and your out on streets then put on a helmet is my theory

Answer 3

My sons wear helmets while riding their bikes, scooters, roller blades or skateboards.  If either want to whine about it, we take away the scooter and then they won't have to worry about wearing a helmet (we had to do this with my 9yo this summer.  He had his scooter taken away for 6 weeks.. now he gladly puts on his helmet, lol).

Answer 4

I have 4 boys who are 13, 13, 11 and 8 and they all wear helmets for both bikes and scooters and skateboards as well. They have friends who are not forced by their parents to wear them but I have always told them that I don't understand why other parents would not force it for their child's own safety. It's because I care about them that I make them wear it and they know it. When my kids skateboard I actually make them wear all the padding even my oldest two because they go on ramps and all.

My 11 yr old and one of my 13 yr olds had a collision one day. One of them was scootering and one was biking and they collided by accident. My 13 yr old was on the bike and he had a scrape on his chest and hands where he landed and my 11 yr old who was on the scooter had a huge scrape on his helmet at the front. If he hadn't had the helmet that injury would have been on his head rather than the helmet.

Answer 5

good god...i let my 13 year old go on his kawaski dirt bike and quad with no helmet....if he dares wear a helmet i lock him in the basemtn and feed him bread and water

Answer 6

My children are quite older now, but they still have to wear their helmets, and pads for their arms, knees, my grandson still has to wear all the protective gear before getting on  one! NO GEAR! NO RIDING! Anything can happen in a second! I want them protected, so that they be able to go riding again, tomorrow!

Answer 7

I live in Los Angeles, so this is a big concern here.  This is my rule for all 4 kids...they must wear a helmet if they are off of our property...I don't require one in our backyard or driveway because they have just as much chance of injuring themselves just walking.  My kids feel like they are getting a choice here...If my kids don't want to wear their helmet, then they can't leave the yard with it...that simple.

Answer 8

till I was thirteen my mom & dad made me.

I hated it but now I'm so glad they did... man,

I fell so much and if I didn't, wow, I'd be messed up.

I say you're going to right direction :)

Answer 9

if it has wheels my kids wear a helmet. my son let his friend borrow his scooter. I kindly asked her to go put on her helmet(she wears one with her bike) she shouted at me "my mommy says I don't have to wear one on a scooter" I told her she had to wear one if she was going to ride my sons scooter. I will not permit other kids to ride my kids bikes, scooter etc without a helmet on. I don't care what their parents say, its liability in addition to common sense.

I have known kids to get seriously hurt on them. Kids can accidentally ride into cars and mail boxes or have a person to person collision. Most parents in my neighborhood skip helmets all together for bikes, scooters and skate boards. I think its awful and irresponsible. A helmet saved my head once! I fell off my bike  when I was teenager and landed head first. I had a headache and damaged helmet but was alive and well. A friend of mine wasn't so lucky. She was running late and couldn't find her helmet. She got on her bike anyway. She hit a rock flipped over the handled bars and landed head first. She went to the hospital by ambulance and had a bad concussion. Her parents grounded her for a month for riding her bike without a helmet. They would have preferred she be late than injured.

Answer 10

I strongly suggest that you let your child wear a helmet. My little cousin was on a scooter with out a helmet and he had a very bad concusion and was in the hospital for a very long time. He couldn't remember alot and he finally got his memory back. Please, I don't want your child to have this happen to them.  

Answer 11

If it would help your cause, you could show them this article:

http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cg...

I'm sure they don't understand their statistical risks, so maybe you could just say, "Mommy knows best, don't ask me why . . . I SAID don't ask me why!"

Answer 12

I do not just because they only ride on the 6 foot sidewalk in front of my house and on the driveway across the street, both are quite safe areas.

Plus there is the fact that the helmets we have are so buried in the garage that I do not know where 3 of them are...and they do not fit correctly. Now that I think about it...maybe Santa should bring all 3 of them helmets this year. the 3 year old needs one 24/7...I wonder if he is the reincarnation of evil knevil (cartwheeels off the back of the couch?)

Answer 13

I only allow my daughter to go without a helmet if she doesn't leave the driveway or the culdesac, on a bike or a scooter.  

Answer 14

im not acually a parent, im acually a teenager, i just wanted to say that you are doing the right thing making My parents made me wear a helmet and lifejacket my whole life and they still do.  Im happy they did because one day i was biking down a gravel hill and my back tire hit a weird rock and i went over the handle bars and landed right on my head, thank goodness they made me wear a helmet.  So even though they whine and complain, which is what i used to do, trust me when i say that its worth it and if they ever have the experience i did, they will thank you for it.

Answer 15

I don't worry about the trip and fall as much, riding a scooter makes you more susceptible to being hit by a car than simply walking along. Helmets are necessary gear for person versus car collisions.

My kids were never adept enough with the scooter to worry about their heads (they really never went forward much). We had a few nasty clunks on the ankle from the thing swiveling around quick when you pick it up though.