Study Finds Racial, Gender Disparities in Helmet Use Among Kids
LatestBike helmets are, for bike-wielding kids with only a rudimentary understanding of their own motor skills, a necessary form of public humiliation Even really sleek, Tron-looking bike helmets are humiliating (and uncomfortable) to strap on, and, for a kid with a bike, the first true act of childhood rebellion is ditching the helmet and riding free-skull through the neighborhood streets like Ghost Rider. That may not be the safest course of action, but, for a lot of kids, it’s the most liberating, badass thing they’ll do in their entire lives.
A new study comprehensively titled “Racial/Ethnic and Socioeconomic Disparities in the Use of Helmets in Children Involved in Bicycle Accidents” found that a mere 11 percent of kids treated for bike-related injuries in Los Angeles County (which has a helmet mandate) were wearing a helmet at the time of their accidents. Data for the study was gathered between 2006 and 2011, and the study included information about kids’ helmet use, age, gender, insurance status, and race/ethnicity.