Since the start of enforcing safety measures during the pandemic, spending time outdoors has become increasingly popular. As we say goodbye to the humidity of the summer and to welcome the crisp breezes of fall, we’ve got even more great reasons to be outside. And one of them is our new concussion prevention campaign: #RockYourHelmet.
What Is #RockYourHelmet About?
Parks are packed with adults and kids biking, city streets flooded with people riding electric scooters, and roads are filled with motorcyclists. Spending more time outdoors has proven health benefits, but there is a caveat: too many people overlook head injury risks and forego wearing their helmets when they exercise or use bikes, in-line skates and other forms of wheeled activities. When you consider how often kids’ concussion symptoms go undertreated or under diagnosed, or how concussions can be hard to spot, you can see why that this can be problematic. That’s why we are asking everyone to join us and “Rock Your Helmet” when enjoying outdoor activities. What better way to celebrate National Concussion Awareness Day?
Why Is Wearing a Helmet Important for Concussion Prevention?
Although wearing helmets cannot prevent every concussion, studies have consistently shown that wearing a helmet during outdoor impact activities significantly decreases heard injuries. One study, conducted over a ten-year span by the American College of Surgeons, found wearing a helmet while biking decreases the risk of serious head injuries by nearly 70 percent. And yet, despite data overwhelmingly supporting wearing a helmet for brain injury prevention, only 22 percent of adult bicyclists wear helmets.
The same can be said for scooters and motorcycles. A recent JAMA study found that less than five percent of scooter riders who went to hospitals for injuries wore helmets, and around a third of the injuries were head injuries. With the recent rise of electronic scooters in cities, the study also found the rate of scooter head injuries doubled compared to the rate hospitals are seeing bicycle head injuries. For motorcyclists, helmets provide an average 76 percent decrease in head injuries, yet there has been a significant drop in motorcyclists wearing helmets over the years according to the US Department of Transportation.
Helmets Are Important in All Impact Sports and Activities, not Just Wheeled Ones
Unlike most organized sports, there are no universal helmet requirements for riding bicycles, electric scooter and motorcycles in the United States. Laws vary tremendously from state to state, too. Rules for helmet usage in other impact activities can also vary within sports organizations and municipalities. That doesn’t diminish the research supporting proper helmet usage.
Biking or rollerblading, horseback riding, playing football, ice hockey, baseball or other sports — we can take the initiative by wearing helmets to reduce concussion risks, encourage safety and promote head injury prevention. Taking the time to put on a helmet is a simple but significant step in having a safe and enjoyable outdoor experience.
How to Participate in #RockYourHelmet
Whether you’re riding your bike or playing a sport that requires you to wear a helmet, we want to see it! Here’s how to join in the #RockYourHelmet movement:
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- Take a selfie or photo of you and your friends wearing helmets properly.
- Post it to Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, SnapChat, Linkedin or the social media of your choice.
- Be sure to include you post with #RockYourHelmet.
- Spread the word! We would love to see happy helmet smiles all over the place promoting concussion prevention.
More Resources for Helmet Safety
- Helmet Safety from the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS)
- “Which Helmet for Which Activity?” from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
- “Bike Helmets: Finding the Right Fit” from the Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles
- Heads Up helmet safety fact sheets from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (wide array of sports and activities)
