We all know that child safety is important, but few realise unintentional injuries (what we sometimes call “accidents”) are the leading killer of children 14 years and younger.

These “accidents” take more young lives than violence or suicide or any other disease, yet most are preventable. Many injuries happen during a lapse of supervision or because a safety device wasn’t used. As a paediatrician and mother, I hope that parents will take the opportunity to discuss these needless injuries and deaths and promote child safety with their own children.

A bicycle typically represents your child’s first “big kid” toy, and learning to ride a bicycle is a milestone in your child’s life. But a bicycle is not just a toy — it is a vehicle. And as a vehicle, the bicycle helmet is associated with more childhood injuries than any other consumer product except the car.

More than 350,000 children under 14 are treated for bicycle injuries in emergency rooms annually in the United States, more than any other sports-related injury.

Because more children ride bicycles than any other age group, children account for more than half of all bicycle-related injuries and approximately one-quarter of all bicycle-related deaths. About 200 children in the US are killed annually by bicycle crashes.

Bicycle helmet effectiveness

Head injury is the leading cause of death in bicycle crashes (70 to 80 percent) and is the most important determinant of death and permanent disability. The single rule — wear a helmet — can reduce the risk of head and brain injuries by 85 to 88 percent. It is estimated that 75 percent of bicycle-related fatalities among children could be prevented with a properly worn bicycle helmet.

Tips for getting your children to wear bicycle helmets:

Establish the helmet habit early — as soon as they start to ride bikes, even tricycles. But don’t worry. . . It’s never too late to get your children into helmets.

Wear a helmet yourself — children learn best by observing you.

Tell your kids you love and value them — and their intelligence.

They can hurt their brains permanently or even die of head injuries.

Brains don’t heal like cuts or broken bones. That’s why football players, horseback riders and construction workers wear helmets.

Reward your kids for wearing helmets — praise them; give them special treats or privileges when they wear their helmets without being reminded.

Don’t let children ride their bikes unless they wear their helmets — be consistent. If you allow your children to ride occasionally without their helmets, they won’t believe that helmet use really is important. Restrict bicycle privileges if they break the helmet rule.

Encourage your children’s friends to wear helmets — peer pressure can be used in a ositive way if several families in the neighbourhood start making helmet use a regular habit at the same time.