Bicycle Safety

Girl wearing a helmet while riding her bikeHead injuries cause more deaths for children on bicycles than any other cause. Wearing a helmet reduces the risk of head injury by 85%!

Safe Kids Worldwide reports that more than 70% of children ages 5-14 ride bikes. This age group rides 50% more than the average bicyclist and accounts for approximately 21% of all bicycle-related deaths. Nearly half of all bicycle-related injuries are sustained by children. Make it a habit for kids to wear a helmet every time they ride! Adults can model this behavior and protect their own heads by wearing a helmet.

State & Local Laws

While Washington state currently does not have a bicycle helmet law, many cities and towns have passed legislation requiring children 16 and under to wear helmets. Locally, the cities of Mount Vernon, Sedro Woolley, Burlington, and Anacortes all have helmet ordinances in effect for those who ride motorized scooters.

We encourage everyone to wear a helmet while riding bikes, skateboards, or scooters!

Helmet Fit Checks

It’s not only important to wear a helmet, it’s important to wear one that fits correctly. Fit helmets by performing the following checks:

  • Eyes Check: Position the helmet on your head. Look up and you should see the bottom rim of the helmet (one to two fingers above the eyebrows).
  • Ears Check: Make sure the straps of the helmet form a "V" under your ears when buckled. The straps should be snug but comfortable.
  • Mouth Check: Now open your mouth as wide as you can! Do you feel the helmet hug your head? If not, tighten those straps!