Wheeled Sports
Wheeled Sports
Preventing Injuries To Children
Michael J. Mello, MD, MPH
Eugene Y. Fukudome BS
The Injury Free Coalition for Kids® is a national program of the Robert Wood
Johnson Foundation at Columbia University Medical Center’s Mailman School of
Public Health.
Bicycles
• 700-900 people die in bicycle-
related injuries each year in the
United States
• More than 500,000 people are
treated in hospital emergency
departments for bicycle-related
injuries
• The majority of bicycle injuries
occur in children less than 15 years
old
Bicycles
• Head injuries account for 1/3 of
emergency room visits by bicycle
riders
• 90% of people killed in 2000
were not wearing a helmet while
bicycling
Bicycles
Injuries to the face,
muscles, bones, as well as
bruises, cuts and scrapes
also occur in bicycle
riders
Bicycles
• Always wear a helmet when
riding your bicycle
• Ride a bicycle that is the
correct size for you
• Keep bicycle in good repair,
and check the breaks often
• One person per bicycle: no
riding on handlebars or pegs.
Bicycles
• Ride on the right side of the road
• Use hand signals:
−left arm straight out = left turn
−left arm bent up at elbow = right turn
• Kids (10 and under) should only ride
on the sidewalk
• Stop and look both directions before
turning on to a street
Bicycles
• Learn and obey all traffic rules, signs,
and signals
• Always watch for cars
• Walk bicycles across busy intersections
• Be visible to cars
• Wear bright clothing
• At night, use reflectors and lights
Bicycles
• Bicycle riding is a popular
form of recreation and
transportation
• 67-85 million Americans ride
bicycles
• 70% of children 5-14 years old
ride bicycles
Bicycles
• Two hands on handlebars
• Don’t carry large things while riding
• Do not drink alcohol or use drugs
before riding
• Never use headphones while riding
your bicycle
Skateboards
• 5.8 million children and
adolescents less than 18 years old
skateboard
• 750,000 children and adolescents
skateboard on a weekly basis
• Skateboarding is more popular
among males
Skateboards
• Skateboarding deaths are rare
• Skateboarding injuries result in
50,000 visits to the emergency
room and 1,500 hospitalizations
yearly
• 25% of hospitalizations are due to
skateboarders colliding with cars
Skateboards
•The most common areas injured
while skateboarding are the
ankle, wrist, and face
•Boys are injured much more
frequently than girls
Skateboards
• Children under 5 should not skateboard
• Children 6 - 10 years of age should
skateboard only with close supervision
• Beginners should use skateboards with a
short deck and wide wheels
• Never skateboard in traffic
• Never hold on to moving vehicles while
skateboarding
Skateboards
• Skateboard in skate parks
• Skateboard protective gear:
– Helmet
– Wrist guards
– Elbow pads
– Knee pads
• Gloves will help protect your hands
In-line skates
• In-line skates were
introduced in the 1980s
• Around 37 million people of
all ages in-line skate
• Over 17 million people
under 18 years of age skate
In-line Skates
• In-line skaters tend to fall forward
• Thus, injuries to arms and hands
such as fractures, and dislocations
are common
• Head and leg injuries
also occur while in-line
skating
In-line Skates
• Death resulting from in-
line skating is rare
• In-line skating is
responsible for some
153,000 injuries
each year
In-line Skates
• In-line skating protective gear:
– Helmet
– Wrist guards
– Elbow pads
– Knee pads
• Avoid in-line skating in traffic
• Never hold on to moving vehicles
while in-line skating
In-line Skates
• Do not in-line skate at night
• Beginners should avoid hills
• Beginners and intermediate skaters
should use skates with 3 or 4 wheels
• Beginners should consider skating
lessons
Scooters
•The currently popular scooter
was introduced in 2000
•These light-weight scooters
utilize low-friction wheels,
and achieve speeds of 5-8
mph
•In 2000, more than 11 million
people used a scooter
Scooters
• Between 1999 and 2002, there
were 20 deaths resulting from
scooters
• There were an estimated 40,500
trips to the emergency room as a
result of scooter injuries in 2000
• 85% of scooter injuries occurred in
children younger than 15 years old
Scooters
• Common scooter-related injuries
include fractures, dislocations,
sprains, cuts, and bruises, and affect
the wrist, elbow, lower arm, and knee
• Head and face injuries also occur
• Injuries tend to occur when scooter
wheels hit a small object, while
performing a trick, or while trying to
stop
Scooters
• Always wear protective gear while
riding a scooter:
– Helmet
– Knee pads
– Elbow pads
• Do not use wrist guards while riding a
scooter because wrist guards make it
difficult to grip the handlebars
Scooters
• Children younger than 8 years of
age should be closely supervised
while riding a scooter
• Never use scooters on wet or sandy
surfaces; ride on smooth, paved
surfaces
• Beginners should avoid hills
Scooters
• Never use scooters at night
• Avoid using scooters in traffic,
rather, use the sidewalk
• One person per scooter
• Always test out your breaks before
riding
• Wear sturdy shoes
The Problem
• Many research studies have shown
that protective equipment such as
helmets prevent or decrease the
severity of injury
• Yet some children and adolescents
continue to neglect safety
equipment
• Thus, many preventable injuries,
some severe, continue to occur
Cost
• Injuries are costly, both financially
and personally
• For example, medical bills for
bicycle-related injuries can total
$81 million per year
• There are additional costs such as
pain, suffering, anxiety, and
disability that result from injury
Model for Injury Prevention
Community Environmental Change Evaluation
Concern
Education &
Awareness Physical
Environment Specific
Programs
Coalitions Social
Environment
Epidemiologic
Data
Outcome
Data
Injury Prevention
• There are different kinds of
helmets for different activities
Bicycle
Scooter / Skateboard
Injury Prevention
• Choose a helmet that complies with
US Consumer Product Safety
Commission standards (check the
label)
• Helmets must fit properly and be
worn correctly to be effective
• Do not purchase large helmets for
your child to “grow into”
Injury Prevention
• Make sure the
front of the
helmet is facing
forward
• Helmets should
be straight, and
should NOT tilt
forwards or
backwards
Injury Prevention
Chin straps
should be snug
enough that the
helmet cannot
be moved from
side to side
Injury Prevention
• Helmets that have been
through a crash should
be discarded, and a
new helmet should be
purchased
• Parents can set an
example for children
by always wearing their
helmet