Prevention Library
It's easy to stay safe on a bicycle
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Nationwide, about a half million people end up in the emergency room every year because of a bike accident.
Cyclist Tara Bicknell doesn't always wear a helmet
Safety experts say many times riders aren't practicing safe biking.
Austin resident Tara Bicknell rides her bike everyday. She recently took a fall. "I just switched from mountain bike tires to road tires and I went on to the trail like I had my mountain bike tires on and forgot and slid right across the trail and flew off. Enough people there went to see if I was OK," Bicknell said.
Accidents happen and that's why you need to do what you can to protect yourself. Any time you ride a bike, safety experts say, wear a helmet. And if you wear it correctly you reduce your risk of getting a brain injury by about 85 percent.
"I'd say about 75 percent of people [who] are using helmets aren't using them right," public health educator Doug Ballew said.
Ballew said it's crucial your helmet fits properly. "The helmet should be level on your head about one maybe two finger widths above your eyebrows. It shouldn't be tilted too far back," Ballew said. If necessary, it can be adjusted with sizing pads. "The strap should be adjusted to where you can only get one finger in between your chin and the chin strap," Ballew said.
Bicknell doesn't always wear a helmet, but said she does what she can to stay safe. "When I ride long distances I do. Sometimes I don't wear it to school and back, but otherwise I try and take bike paths. I try to take roads that aren't so busy, the larger bridges and I ride with traffic rather than against it."
Ballew said riders also need to be visible, follow the rules of the road, and pay attention to surroundings to stay on the safe side. You can get a bike helmet at the pharmacy on the UT campus for $10.
Reprinted with permission. Copyright ©2005TWEAN News Channel of Austin, L.P. d.b.a. News 8 Austin