Warm weather means it's time to break out the bicycles, and while it's convenient to grab a cheapo kiddie helmet from Target or Toys "R" Us, or to hand down your old road-bike helmet as your kids say goodbye to their training wheels, there are plenty of reasons to think you might be making a potentially deadly decision in doing so.
Head injuries are the leading cause of death in bicycle crashes, and outside of automobiles, bikes are associated with more childhood injuries than any other consumer product (thanks, Safe Kids USA, for the stats). And while you don't need to fork over $130-plus for a high-end, well-tested helmet like the Giro Xen (pictured), you'd best do some reading before just grabbing any old helmet off the racks.
Helmets.org has a monster rundown of helmets for the 2008 bicycling season, much of it helpful (if a bit daunting to get through) if you're trying to find the right size and fit for your own junior cyclist. Of particular interest to parents are sections on whether it's smart to buy a tiny helmet or even take your baby cycling in the first place, a primer on buying helmets to fit large-headed kids, and several pamphlets on broader subjects such as choosing a helmet for your child and teaching him or her to ride a bike. Plan to spend some quality time there, is what we're saying.
