Safety Information

How to Fit a Helmet

Remember to use the 2-V-1 rule so that you can make sure you are wearing your helmet properly every time you ride.

Preventing Injury isn’t brain surgery -
it only takes a moment to fit your bike helmet.
Prevention is the only cure!

It’s the law in Ontario for children and adolescents under 18 years old to wear an approved bicycle helmet. Be a good role model ... Wear your helmet when you ride your bike.

Helmet Fitting Demonstration

Which Helmet, Which Activity?

The human skull is just three pennies thick. A properly fitted helmet can reduce the risk of serious head injury by up to 85%. Helmets are designed to absorb the force from a crash or a fall. This means that four out of five brain injuries could be prevented if every cyclist wore a helmet.

Helmets are constructed according to an understanding of how head and brain injuries occur in different activities:

• The brain is enclosed within a rigid skull
• The brain “sits” on bones that make up the base of the skull
• The spinal cord is attached to the brain and passes through a hole in the underside of the skull
• Under the skull, adhering to the skull bones is a tough tissue called dura that surrounds the brain

The best defense against injury is prevention. This doesn’t mean hibernation - it means getting trained, wearing the right gear and using your brain to navigate risks. Remember: visit http://www.parachutecanada.org/injury-topics/topic/C8 before you play!

Bicycle Helmet Standards

A sticker inside the helmet with the following indicates the helmet meets Safety Standards recognized in Canada:

When to Replace Your Helmet

Replace you helmet when:

• You are in a crash
• You drop it hard on the ground
• The straps loosen when you are wearing it
• It has a crack in it
• The foam is falling apart
• If it is too tight on your head
• It is five years old (even if it is in great shape)