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Bicycle helmets

More than one third of parents "never thought about purchasing" bicycle helmets for their children and most children still do not use them, a Chicago study revealed.

Subjects were 169 children, ages 5 to 14 years, who owned bicycles. Children and parents were questioned about their use of bicycle helmets.

Of the 28 percent of children who owned helmets, 45 percent reported using them, resulting in a mere 12 percent overall helmet use. Children's most common reasons for not wearing a helmet were "forgot" or "lost it."

Of children who did not own helmets, 64 percent said they would wear one if they had one.

While lack of awareness was the most frequent reason why parents didn't purchase helmets, 26 percent of parents who had knowledge of bicycle helmets heard about them from their child's pediatrician.