More children, ages 5 to 14, go to U.S. hospital emergency rooms for injuries associated with bicycles than with any other sport. Head injury is the leading cause of death in bicycle crashes and is the most important determinant of bicycle-related death and permanent disability. Bicycle helmets have been shown to reduce the risk of head injury by as much as 85 percent and the risk of brain injury by as much as 88 percent. Riding without a helmet increases the risk of sustaining a head injury in the event of a crash. Non-helmeted riders are 14 times more likely to be involved in a fatal crash than bicyclists wearing a helmet.
Oversized bikes are especially dangerous.
A bicycle of the wrong size may cause the child to lose control and be injured. Take the child with you when shopping for a bike so that he or she can try it out. When straddling the center bar, the child should be able to keep both feet flat on the ground with about a 1-inch clearance between the crotch and the bar. When buying a bike with hand bakes for an older child, make sure that the child can comfortably grasp the bakes and apply sufficient pressure to stop the bike. Make sure the air pressure in the tires is in the recommended range printed on the side of the tire.