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• Bumbo Baby Seats Still Causing Injuries in Children

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Bike Safety for Kids

The warm summer months are a great time to get outside; children and parents alike are taking their bicycles and tricycles out of storage and onto sidewalks and roads. But before your kid pedals off, we ask you to keep these safety precautions in mind.

First, check the braking system on your child's bike. What kind do they have? How old or worn are the brakes? Try them out for yourself. Or, if you are not familiar with or do not feel comfortable checking your child's brakes, you can always take the bicycle to a local retailer or shop that is trained to do so.

Next, use an air pressure gauge to check the remaining pressure in your child's tires. Deflated tires can cause accidents while your child is riding on the cycle. Even if your child's tires appear to be inflated, make sure that they are not too low or too full. Consult the company website of that cycle to determine how much air is needed for different types of tires. Also, it wouldn't hurt to inspect the tire for leaks. Are there any objects-such as nails-stuck in the tires? After filling tires with the appropriate amount of air, accompany your child on a quick ride and check to see if the tires lost any air. If so, then you may want to consider taking your cycle in to get patched up or to get new tires. Here are some fast facts on bicycle accidents:

• 267,000: That's the number of children who will be injured this year in a bicycle accident
• 135: That's the number of children who will die this year from a bicycle accident
• 88%: How much a helmet can reduce the chance of critical injuries to the brain
• 20%: Estimated amount of children under 14 who actually wear a helmet
• 75%: Estimated amount of head injury-induced fatalities that could have been prevented with a helmet

Many states require cyclists to wear helmets, and many who do not currently require them are pushing legislation to make it illegal to not wear a helmet. Laws regarding helmet use vary by state; Missouri and Kansas have no current laws regarding the use of bicycle helmets.

The average person's brain does not finish fully developing until they are 25 years of age, so it is essential for parents to take every necessary precaution to protect their children. Additionally, it is important to get a safety helmet that fits. Your child's helmet should cover their forehead enough that when your child looks up they can see the brim of the helmet; the helmet should be snug and tight enough that it feels like it is "hugging" your child's head.

One difficulty parents often encounter is getting their children to keep helmets on. We hope that you will talk to your children about the importance of helmet safety, and encourage them to practice safe biking by example (wearing a helmet while biking yourself).

Preventive measures don't end with a helmet though. Make sure that you know where your child is riding, or accompany them if possible. Over half of fatalities that are caused in vehicle-bicycle accidents occur on neighborhood streets and roads that are not busy. So talk to your kids about which side of the road to drive on, what road signs mean, and what to do if an accident should occur.

If you or a child you know is involved in a bicycle accident, you must first seek medical attention immediately. If you then decide to seek legal assistance, we urge you to contact any one of our Kansas City personal injury attorneys for a free consultation. We want to see child injury and accident victims get the justice and compensation they deserve, and we can help you.

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