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CNN Live Today

New Study Shows Importance of Helmets to Kids

Aired May 02, 2002 - 10:42   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Talking health news now, every year thousands of children die from a traumatic brain injury. Many of those are sustained from accidents when kids ride bikes, scooters, or Rollerblades. A new study documents these injuries. Our medical correspondent, Rea Blakey joins us from Washington with more.

Rea, good morning, good to see you.

REA BLAKEY, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Daryn. Some 28 million U.S. kids ride bikes, and a new survey shows that less than half of them wear their helmet every time they ride. You have probably noticed the popularity of scooters and other wheeled activities is skyrocketing as well, but less than a third of kids who ride scooters, skateboards, or inline skates actually wear a helmet.

Now, a new survey by the National Safe Kids Campaign shows kids don't wear helmets for a number of reasons, including the fact that they only ride near home. But keep in mind, the typical bike-car accident occurs within a mile of their home. 43 percent say helmets are uncomfortable. More than a quarter say they don't fell cool in a helmet, and 27 percent say they don't because their parents don't make them.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. MARTIN EICHELBERGEH, PRESIDENT, NATIONAL SAFE KIDS CAMPAIGN: All of us have a role to play in this, making sure that kids who are very overconfident at the 10 to 14 age group put a helmet on their head, because if they don't do that, there's nothing I as a surgeon can do to bring them back.

It is amazing. You can just fall two or three feet, bump your head, and for the rest of your life you won't be able to compute numbers, you won't be able to read. Many kids have trouble speaking, other kids have trouble even walking, talking, and eating.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLAKEY: Now the total annual cost of bike accidents in traffic among kids that are age 14 and younger is more than 2 billion bucks a year. Helmets are an effective way at reducing the risk of brain injury by up to 88 percent. Helmets provide a safety net, and a savings net. Listen to this. Every dollar spent on a bike helmet saves $30 in medical costs and other costs to society. Now, just so that you know, Daryn, tweens -- that is that age group between 8 and 12, say they would wear a helmet if it was a parental rule.

Half say they would if it was, in fact, a state law. Keep that in mind, parents. You have power -- Daryn.

KAGAN: Yes, Rea. I will tell you why I think a lot of parents don't make their kids do it, because -- how many of us when we were kids, we were riding our bikes, roller skating, doing all of that without helmets, and we're here.

BLAKEY: You know, the bottom line is, we're lucky to be here, quite frankly...

KAGAN: True.

BLAKEY: ...because these helmets are a safety precaution that kids today do have, and they should take advantage of, so they can't go by what was the rule when we were kids. That was a different time.

KAGAN: That is so true. Rea Blakey in Washington. Thank you so much.

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