Helmets! Helmets!

Helmets key

to reducing

head injuries

By KENNETH JACKSON

Metro Ottawa

Don’t use your brains for

brakes.

That’s the message Ottawa

Public Health used to kick off

Safe Kids Week in the city, in

a bid to stem head injuries

among children.

Whether cycling, skateboarding

or rollerblading, a

helmet reduces the risk of injury

in a crash, Ottawa’s chief

medical officer, Dr. Robert

Cushman, said at a media

event yesterday.

“You can have a serious

head injury just standing up,”

Cushman said. “Helmets can

reduce head injuries up to 80

or 90 per cent. You don’t want

to use your head as brakes.”

Nine-year-old Sammy Van

Dusen learned the importance

of headgear last summer

when he went off a bicycle

trail and fell 15 feet down

a rocky slope.

“I fell off of my bike and

into a ravine but it could have

been much worse if I hadn’t

been wearing my helmet,” the

youngster said.

“I think people should be

smart and wear a helmet. I did,

and it may have saved my life.”

The health unit launched

the 2005 event yesterday at

the Ottawa SK8 Park on Industrial

Avenue.

The event included a video

illustrating the need for helmets

as well as performances

by skateboarders and bikers,

all decked out in protective

gear.

There will be events all

week at Ottawa Children’s

Safety Village at 106 Greenview

Ave., all aimed at protecting

children from preventable

injuries.

“Our kids need to be physically

active but they also need

to take appropriate safety

measures to prevent serious

injuries,” Cushman said.

Helmet should fit well and

be CSA approved, officials said.