A study put out by a University of Michigan Health System pediatric surgeon said parents think their children use bicycle helmets and seatbelts more often than children say they use them.
The study conducted a survey which reported that ‘of the 731 fourth and fifth grade pupils and 329 of their parents, researchers found that while 70 percent of parents say their child always wears a bicycle helmet while riding while only 51 percent of children reported wearing a helmet. One-fifth of the children said they never wear a helmet and only 4 percent of parents said their children never use one’
It was the same story for vehicle safety practices. Parents say their children use a seatbelt 92 percent of the time, but children report using one only 70 percent of the time. And while 80 percent of parents say their children always sit in the vehicle's backseat, only 43 percent of children say they always sit in back.
Do you know what the leading cause of death is among children? It’s traumatic injuries. Five hundred thousand children are hospitalized annually due to injury. Motor vehicle crashes account for more than half of all injuries and traumatic deaths in children. Bicycle accidents account for another 10 percent. Seatbelts, car seats, and bike helmets have all proved successful at reducing the frequency and severity of injuries in children. But they need to be used and parents with their children need to get on the same page about using them.
The study also went on to say that ‘the answers collected from the children is consistent with national data on bike helmet and seatbelt use, suggesting their answers are closer to reality than the parents' answers. In addition to the discrepancies reported by parents and children, the study also found a strong correlation between parental behavior and the child's behavior. Among the matched parent-child responses, 15 percent of the children said they never use a bicycle helmet – and 88 percent of those children's parents also report never wearing a helmet. Further, children who said they ride their bikes with their parents were more likely to report helmet use than children who do not ride with their parents, 70 percent compared to 40 percent. Seatbelt use followed a similar pattern, with children of parents who always wear a seatbelt nearly three times more likely to wear a seatbelt and sit in the backseat. Parents who seldom wear a seatbelt were twice as likely to have children who sit in the front seat unbelted.’
Clearly, modeling appropriate behavior is called for in these instances. If you wear your bike helmet and seat belt so will your child. Send a clear message to your child and role play together some safety issues.
Source: University of Michigan Health System
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