June is here and it’s a great time for everyone to get their bike out and enjoy the beautiful weather in Minnesota this time of year. It’s also a great time to talk about this month’s SEE.SAFE.SMART. safety campaign message, which is “Protect your melon.” When heading out on your bicycle, it’s important to ride safely, and just as important to protect your head by wearing a bike helmet.

Every year, we still see too many people riding in New Ulm without a helmet. No matter what your age or skill level on a bike, that’s a risky move. According to the Bicycle Alliance of Minnesota (BikeMN), research shows that up to 60 percent of deaths from bicycle crashes are the result of head trauma.

In addition, according to statistics compiled by the American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma in their March 2023 Statement on Bicycle Safety and the Promotion of Bicycle Helmet Use:

• More than 1,000 people die and 350,000 are seen in emergency departments annually due to bicycle injuries in the US.

• Bicycling is among the top five leading causes of injury in people ages 5-14 years. The highest death rate from bicycling is among those aged 60-64 years.

How much impact to the head are we talking about?

• As BikeMN explains in its Walk! Bike! Fun! curriculum, scientists measure how hard something hits something else with a “g force” measurement (G).

• Things that hit hard have a high g force and high potential for damage. 300 Gs is enough to cause permanent brain damage; 500 Gs can fracture the skull and cause death.

•The head of someone who falls from cycle height to a concrete surface can receive a force of more than 1,800 Gs.

• The good news is … helmets make a real difference!

• A properly worn and certified bicycle helmet cushions and protects your head from damaging impacts with hard surfaces such as asphalt and concrete. Helmets can reduce the 1,800 Gs of bicycle falls to less than 200 Gs, which is not enough to fracture a skull.

• Helmets reduce the risk of head injury by 48 percent, traumatic brain injury by 53 percent, facial injury by 23 percent, and fatal injury by 34 percent.

• Children who bicycle without a helmet have a three-fold higher risk of serious head injury compared to those who wear helmets.

So, every time you or a family member or friend head out bicycling, be sure to wear your helmet and put it on properly. For tips from on fitting your bike helmet properly, see BikeMN’s tips at https://tinyurl.com/FitBikeHelmet

Remember, when you SEE people biking and walking, act SAFE, and be SMART, it increases safety for everyone in our community.