ABC member Margaret helps us to fit helmets right

A helmet is probably the single most important piece of cycling safety equipment and - as it appears from sightings around town - the one most often improperly used. This is particularly troubling in the case of young children who rely on their parents to fit their helmets so that their heads are protected when they fall.

To help out confused parents, Margaret, an Atlanta native, rising sixth-grader, and member of an ABC-member family, agreed to share her helmet expertise with us in the following interview.

Hello, Margaret!

Margaret: Hi!

I see you're wearing your bicycle helmet, even in the park.

Margaret: I always wear my helmet when I'm riding, no matter where.

You don't just wear it when you're biking on the street.

Margaret: Nope. I wear it everywhere I ride, because my head needs to be protected in case I fall. That could happen on a road, or a trail or even on the grass, if I happen to hit a rock.

I see. Well, does it matter very much how you wear your helmet? Will any old way do?

Margaret: It matters a lot! The important thing about how you wear your helmet is that it stays in place if you fall. It's not going to do you any good if it ends up on the ground next to you if you take a tumble.

Could you go ahead and show us the right way to wear a helmet?

Margaret: You bet! First I make sure that the helmet is level on my head - not tilted back or forward. The sides straps form triangles around my ears with the points of the triangles just below them. I want to be able to feel the chin strap hugging my chin, but not so tight that makes it hard for me to swallow.

Is it difficult to make all those adjustments?

Margaret: It's pretty easy to slide the buckles on the sides up and down. Messing with the chin strap is a little tricky, but the nice thing is that you only have to do it once. If there's a bunch of strap left over after you get the chin strap right, you can cut it off with a scissors to keep it out of your way.

So is that all you have to do?

Margaret: There's one more adjustment to make sure that your helmet is on right. You reach around back and adjust the "size" of the helmet, sort of like the way you change the size of a baseball cap. My helmet has a little wheel to do it. I need to use two hands to get my ponytail out of the way.

This is sort of like the chin strap. The adjustment should leave your helmet feeling snug, but not tight in any way that would bother you. It also helps out in just putting the helmet on and taking it off.

Does this mean we're finally done and ready to ride?

Margaret: We're done with the adjustments, but we need to check to make sure the helmet is really on right. So, what I do now is grab the helmet with my hands and try to move it gently right and left and up and down. It's OK if it slips a little, but my head should follow my helmet as I rotate it, that way I know it will stay in position when it matters most - during a fall.

Do you have any other tips about helmets before we go?

Margaret: Yeah. It's sort of surprising to have to say this, but if parents want their kids to take helmets seriously, they should wear them when they are riding.

Anything else?

Margaret: Everybody needs to remember to drink plenty of water when it's hot out. That's an important part of being safe, too!

Thank you, Margaret. Happy trails!

Margaret: You're welcome. Safe cycling!