Wheeled Sports

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Wheeled Sports
Wheeled SportsPreventing Injuries To
ChildrenMichael J. Mello, MD, MPHEugene Y.
Fukudome BS
The Injury Free Coalition for Kids is a
national program of the Robert Wood Johnson
Foundation at Columbia University Medical
Centers Mailman School of Public Health.
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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

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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

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Bicycles

• Injuries to the face, muscles, bones, as well
  as bruises, cuts and scrapes also occur in
  bicycle riders

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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.

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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

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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

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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

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Bicycles

• Two hands on handlebars
• Dont carry large things while riding
• Do not drink alcohol or use drugs before riding
• Never use headphones while riding your bicycle

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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

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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

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Skateboards

• The most common areas injured while skateboarding
  are the ankle, wrist, and face
• Boys are injured much more frequently than girls

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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

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Skateboards

• Skateboard in skate parks
• Skateboard protective gear
• Helmet
• Wrist guards
• Elbow pads
• Knee pads
• Gloves will help protect your hands

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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

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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

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In-line Skates

• Death resulting from in-line skating is rare
• In-line skating is responsible for some 153,000
  injuries each year

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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Model for Injury Prevention
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Injury Prevention

• There are different kinds of helmets for
  different activities

Bicycle
Scooter / Skateboard
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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

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Injury Prevention

• Make sure the front of the helmet is facing
  forward
• Helmets should be straight, and should NOT tilt
  forwards or backwards

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Injury Prevention
Chin straps should be snug enough that the
helmet cannot be moved from side to side
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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