The driver saw the sun reflecting on the helmet around the bend and slowed to a stop. She wasn’t sure what the shiny thing in the distance was, though. Zachary didn’t see her car until it was too late – he and the bike slammed into the woman’s windshield and landed on the side of the road. The bike broke in two, but Zachary’s helmet absorbed the shock.

Zachary was rushed to Le Bonheur Children’s Medical Center with minor injuries. He spent one day on crutches for a sore knee and has a small scar on his nose from the accident. “We’re just blessed because this could have ended up so bad,” Carol Tabor, Zachary’s grandmother, said. Now, all the kids in the neighborhood have helmets.

Not all kids are as lucky as Zachary. However, most of these injuries are preventable when parents set ground rules for their children, says Dr. Sandip Godambe, associate medical director of Le Bonheur’s Emergency Department. Last year, 46 children were admitted for hospital stays to Le Bonheur for injuries related to bicycle accidents.

But more than 600 children had to visit to Emergency Department to get checked out as a result of a bicycle injury, according to Safe Kids Mid-South, headquartered at Le Bonheur. Most typically, those accidents cause arm, abdominal and head injuries.

According to Safe Kids Mid-South, which is also part of a worldwide injury prevention campaign, bicycles are associated with more childhood injuries than any consumer product except the automobile.

The first and most important layer of protection is a helmet. A helmet should fit snug around the head and flush with the top of the head, said Jason Wright of Bikes Plus. A good way to test the helmet is to see if it slides down. If it does, the helmet doesn’t fit. It’s also important to make sure that the straps are tight around the jaw, but not so tight that you can’t open your mouth.

While a helmet may fit, if it’s more than three years old, it may not provide all the protection that a newer helmet does. Wright says that the Styrofoam in helmets will disintegrate over time and faster with exposure to UV rays and sweat. He recommends replacing helmets every 2-3 years.

Parental involvement is key to safety. Godambe and his wife always wear a helmet when they’re riding, a habit they say their children have picked up on. “Kids try to emulate adults’ behavior. Not wearing a helmet is a poor example to set for your children,” Godambe says.

It’s also important to ride with your children. “We take for granted that our neighborhoods are safe. But against a two-ton car, a bike always loses,” Godambe said. A dedicated bike trail is the optimal environment for parents and children to ride together, such as those at Shelby Farms.

Just as a helmet must fit the child, the child must fit the bike he or she is riding. One bike doesn’t fit all children and one bike won’t last through childhood. Buy a bike that fits your child now, not one that he must grow into, Chad Terry of Bike World said. Accidents are more likely to happen when parents purchase a bike that’s too big. Terry suggests that most children will go through four bikes in increasing sizes during their lifetimes.

There are two measurements that should be considered when selecting a bike for a child – the distance from the seat to the handle bars and the distance from the seat to the pedals. If a child’s elbows are locked as he or she reaches for the handle, the bike is too big. If the seat post if raised above the max height, it could break off. Also, if a bike too small, a child can’t steer with his or her knees in the way.

The best way to find the right bike for your child is to talk with the store employees. At a bike shop they can help you pick a bike and helmet that will fit your child.

Keep Safety on the Brain

• Wear helmets correctly centered on the top of the head and always strapped and buckled.
• Never ride when it's dark - drivers cannot see bicyclists.
• Always ride on bike paths, safety trails or sidewalks while enjoying your bike ride.
• Ride with the traffic flow and as far to the right as possible.
• When entering a sidewalk, path or driveway, make a complete stop, look left and right and back to the left.
• Walk your bike across the street. Don’t ride it!
• Use proper hand signals when turning.
• Always wear shoes when riding a bicycle.
• Only one person should ride a bicycle at a time.