Kicking off our “How Safe Is It?” Feature
Teens and parents often wonder how safe something is. We understand that with so much information in the media, it can be confusing in terms of what the bottom line is so you can stay safe. In our new feature, we’ve taken the guess work out of finding the answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about your health.
How Safe is it to NOT use a bicycle helmet when riding?
Answer:
Not safe. According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), thousands of people die each year from injuries caused by bike crashes. Head injury account for 62% of bike related deaths. When used properly, bike helmets lower severe and fatal head injuries that can be life-changing. In fact, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), bicycle helmets are up to 88% effective in lowering head and brain injuries, making the use of helmets the single most effective way to prevent head injuries and deaths resulting from bicycle crashes.
Read more: Bike Safety
Our health guides are developed through a systematic, rigorous process to ensure accuracy, reliability, and trustworthiness. Written and reviewed by experienced healthcare clinicians from Boston Children's Hospital, a Harvard Medical School teaching hospital and consistently ranked as a top hospital by Newsweek and U.S. News & World Report, these guides combine clinical expertise, specialized knowledge, and evidence-based medicine. We also incorporate research and best practices from authoritative sources such as the CDC, NIH, PubMed, top medical journals, and UpToDate.com. Clinical specialists and subject matter experts review and edit each guide, reinforcing our commitment to high-quality, factual, scientifically accurate health information for young people.