Helmets are a must for kids in bicycle trailers, jogging carts

"I can't find a bike helmet small enough for my baby."

It's a statement Ann Brunzell, SAFE KIDS Tri-Cities coalition coordinator, has been hearing a lot lately.

Her first reaction is to ask the child's age.

"Typically I'm hearing 9 months, that's the age babies really start to sit up well," she said.

The reason people can't find a helmet for a baby so young? They don't make them, she said.

Brunzell and others in the child safety industry recommend children be at least a year old and weigh 20 pounds before they ride in a bike trailer or in a child carrier seat mounted on an adult's bike.

The muscles and bones in an infant's neck aren't strong enough to fully support their heavy heads. For that reason, babies under a year old and 20 pounds must ride in rear-facing car seats when in a vehicle. The same rule applies to bicycling, although there aren't any laws in Nebraska directly addressing the matter, Brunzell said.

In addition, the behind-the-bike trailers take a lot of jolting, which could cause injuries to a baby's neck and brain. With an older child, the same type of injury can occur if they fall asleep in a carrier or a trailer and their head rolls back and forth, she said. For that reason, Brunzell recommends stopping if a child falls asleep.

The number of phone calls Brunzell receives daily on the subject has gone up this year, which she believes is connected to the push for families to be more physically active and the higher use of bicycles due to the increase in gasoline prices.

The trailers are also something fairly new, having just become popular in the last few years, so there is an educational learning curve, she said. She highly recommends researching which trailer is best for your family. Look for large wheels, which make a trailer more stable, and a roll-over cage to protect a child if the trailer tips over. Over-the-shoulder harnesses and screens that cover the front and side of the trailers, to prevent debris from hitting the child, are also important, she said.

It is also important to remember that a car seat should never be used in a trailer, she said.

John Wayne, owner of Wayne Cyclery in Grand Island, said with the increase in gas prices he has been selling twice as much bicycle equipment, including trailers, which people have been using to carry groceries as well as children. He also stocks some trailers that convert into strollers.

"We are sold out right now," he said.

Before placing a child in the trailer, practice driving around with it attached to the bike because it will cut down on a bike's maneuverability and is wider than the bicycle, Brunzell said.

Statistically, trailers are involved in fewer crashes than carriers mounted on an adult's bike because carriers raise the bike's center of gravity. With a carrier, a child also has farther to fall during a crash, she said.

When deciding whether to purchase a carrier or a trailer a person should consider which device a child can be placed into while the rider isn't on the bike. A child can't be placed in a carrier by the rider when the bike is resting on a kickstand because the bike might topple over. It may take two adults to use a carrier and only one to use a trailer, Brunzell said.

Carriers and trailers should only be used by seasoned bike riders who are responsible adults, she said.

Melinda Sturgill, a car seat technician with SAFE KIDS Tri-Cities, and her husband, Travis, recently purchased a trailer for their 15-month-old son, Ryker. She researched options and, after determining a carrier wasn't what she wanted, she looked for the best trailer for their needs.

Travis Sturgill attached the trailer to the bicycle, after reading the instructions, and said the process wasn't difficult.

The family's second step was to find a helmet for Ryker.

A child should never ride a bike or be placed in a carrier or trailer without a federally-approved bicycle helmet, Brunzell said.

Wayne agrees that helmets are "cheap insurance" and good protection in the event of a crash. The devices are less expensive now then they were five or so years ago. They are also more comfortable and have better air flow, he said.

Brunzell said the fit of the helmet is crucial. For that reason, the helmet should be placed on the child's head before it is purchased. Fittings are done by SAFE KIDS Tri-Cities, but parents can also check for a good fit by putting the helmet on their child while still at the store, she said.

To get a good fit, look at the size and shape of a child's head. Helmets come in a variety of shapes and sizes and it is the inside of the helmet that matters when it comes to the best fit. The under-the-chin straps should be tight when the child opens his or her mouth, she said.

So a child can get used to the helmet, Brunzell suggests letting them play with it, under adult supervision, to get familiar with it. That was something the Sturgills did with Ryker before his first spin in the trailer.

Melinda Sturgill said the toddler knows he isn't supposed to get into the trailer until he has his helmet on. While he resists the helmet a little at first, he really loves the ride once it starts, she said.

Brunzell said parents should also wear helmets, both for safety and to be a good example for their children.

"Don't think that at that age they aren't watching what you're doing," she said.