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Bike helmets save lives

Are you wearing a helmet every time you ride?

Shortly after my recent article on wearing bike helmets (Bike helmets: to wear or not to wear, May 30 issue) I learned that a cyclist in Clearwater had been involved in a crash. She is an avid cyclist, riding both mountain and road bikes on a regular basis. The crash did not involve another bike or car - it happened in a parking lot at a relatively slow speed.

How many have said, “I don’t need a helmet, I’m a good rider. I don’t go fast and I’m not on the road.”

She did not anticipate the crash, it just happened.

She came out of the crash relatively unscathed. Why? Because she had a helmet on. She went face first into the pavement. She says the helmet saved injury to her nose and teeth. She also believes she was knocked out for a very brief period of time.

Had she not worn a helmet the outcome would not have been so good.  Missing teeth, a broken nose, head injury? Who knows? The good news is she was back riding in a very short period of time. Are you wearing a helmet every time you ride?

– Submitted by Chris Newel