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I would, because I've seen what happens when kids fall off their bikes and hit their heads on the pavement. :(

NamTaf 13y ago
Agreed. IMO helmets are one of those treatments against a low-likelihood, high-consequence risk. The treatment also comes at very little inconvenience, so it's a no-brianer (pun not intended) to choose to do so. Banning kids from riding bikes around cars? I can understand why that's considered a bit too overprotective, but helmets to me seem like a common-sense method of resolving a significant risk with insignificant inconvenience.
- collyw 13y ago
  You can learn to fall / jump off a bike properly as well. Watch some videos of dirt jumpers, despite doing backflips, a lot of them go without helmets.
fineline 13y ago
Yeah, look I agree with the general sentiment of letting kids take risk and learn responsibility, but my two small kids (who do skateboarding, BMX racing, surfing, rugby and a lot of general "rumbling") are NOT allowed to ride without helmets and I wear one too. I survived not having one as a kid (nobody did then), but I wear one too now, and seriously the upside/downside equation here is a no-brainer. Other than that - let 'em at it!
- ronnier 13y ago
  Keep in mind, my kids are riding with me walking right next to them. They are still using training wheels.
  - brc 13y ago
    I get where you are coming from, but you want to associate bike riding = helmet wearing. From training wheels to full-speed downhill riding should only take 6 months. You want to encourage helmet wearing as a habit before that progression occurs. My child had a very large crash that occured because he went down a hill and got confused as to which side of the bike the brake was on, because he was riding an unfamiliar bike. He had ridden down that hill many times. He crashed heavily at a high speed, enough to knock a tooth out and lost a lot of skin on his face, elbows, hands and knees. The helmet had serious damage and had to be thrown away. I don't want to think what would have happened had there been no helmet. He was 4 at the time. I let them ride down hills to get used to the speed as part of learning, so that when they do get older they don't make bad mistakes. I also ride on the road with them to develop their traffic awareness. But helmets are a vital part of that. I had several high speed crashes on my bike during school years. It was only luck that meant I didn't hit my head hard. Please start making them wear helmets.

Agreed. IMO helmets are one of those treatments against a low-likelihood, high-consequence risk. The treatment also comes at very little inconvenience, so it's a no-brianer (pun not intended) to choose to do so. Banning kids from riding bikes around cars? I can understand why that's considered a bit too overprotective, but helmets to me seem like a common-sense method of resolving a significant risk with insignificant inconvenience.

collyw 13y ago
You can learn to fall / jump off a bike properly as well. Watch some videos of dirt jumpers, despite doing backflips, a lot of them go without helmets.

fineline 13y ago

Yeah, look I agree with the general sentiment of letting kids take risk and learn responsibility, but my two small kids (who do skateboarding, BMX racing, surfing, rugby and a lot of general "rumbling") are NOT allowed to ride without helmets and I wear one too. I survived not having one as a kid (nobody did then), but I wear one too now, and seriously the upside/downside equation here is a no-brainer. Other than that - let 'em at it!

ronnier 13y ago
Keep in mind, my kids are riding with me walking right next to them. They are still using training wheels.
- brc 13y ago
  I get where you are coming from, but you want to associate bike riding = helmet wearing. From training wheels to full-speed downhill riding should only take 6 months. You want to encourage helmet wearing as a habit before that progression occurs. My child had a very large crash that occured because he went down a hill and got confused as to which side of the bike the brake was on, because he was riding an unfamiliar bike. He had ridden down that hill many times. He crashed heavily at a high speed, enough to knock a tooth out and lost a lot of skin on his face, elbows, hands and knees. The helmet had serious damage and had to be thrown away. I don't want to think what would have happened had there been no helmet. He was 4 at the time. I let them ride down hills to get used to the speed as part of learning, so that when they do get older they don't make bad mistakes. I also ride on the road with them to develop their traffic awareness. But helmets are a vital part of that. I had several high speed crashes on my bike during school years. It was only luck that meant I didn't hit my head hard. Please start making them wear helmets.