Tipton Discusses Helmet Safety
Helmets are crucial to safety, especially when riding a bike or horse. Jill Tipton, APRN, CNP, Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Holzer Health System, is an avid horse rider who emphasizes the importance of helmets. She says, “Helmets may not protect every part of your body, but do lessen the chance of serious injuries and minimize the severity of falls.”
In the world of bike riding, the fatality rates for those who do not wear helmets are alarmingly high. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, “a record 1,084 cyclists died in collisions with motor vehicles in the past years. 75% of seriously injured cyclists weren’t wearing helmets. Cyclists without helmets are three times more likely to die from head injuries compared to those who wear helmets.”
The Recovery Law Center says, “Bike accidents without a helmet often lead to severe consequences. Riders who skip wearing helmets are at higher risk of head injuries, including traumatic brain injuries and skull fractures. Statistics show that helmet use can significantly reduce the severity of these injuries. Despite this strong evidence, many cyclists still ride without a helmet, putting themselves at risk of serious head trauma.”
Tipton states, “Bike riding should be taken seriously. An injury from bike riding can be awful. Even though you are not usually riding a far distance, you need to be alert when riding a bike. Often times, people feel at ease, and as a result, they feel that there is no risk involved. However, the worst occurrences transpire when a person has their guard down. When riding a bike, you are going at a solid speed. Falling off a bicycle and hitting a hard surface creates an opportunity for severe injury. Helmets protect your head from hitting hard surfaces and enduring severe impairments.”
The National Institutes of Health back up this sentiment, saying, “The use of bicycle helmets was found to reduce head injury by 48 percent, serious head injury by 60 percent, traumatic brain injury by 53 percent, face injury by 23 percent, and the total number of killed or seriously injured cyclists by 34 percent.”
Horse riding presents an alarming amount of danger for riders. Parachute, a Canadian-based company devoted to safety, says, “Horses can reach speeds up to 37 mph, resulting in more injuries per hour in the saddle than motorcycle or auto racing. Due to these potential high speeds, the unpredictable behavior of horses and the distance of the rider from the ground, equestrian athletes are at risk for head and spinal injuries. Injuries most commonly occur when a rider falls or is thrown off the horse. Falls lead to more serious injuries than other causes.”
“When I was in 4H, they instituted a rule enforcing the use of helmets during horse riding. Back then, helmets looked unattractive and were very heavy and uncomfortable. Modern helmets are more comfortable, less awkward, and more stylish. There is an abundance of design options and color schemes available. Everyone needs to remember that safety is always key. If parents have children riding, they need to emphasize how vital helmets are. The sooner people understand the importance of helmets, the better! Safety can be stylish.” says Tipton.
According to Parachute, “Approximately 70 percent of equestrian deaths are the result of head injury. Closed head injuries (where the injury doesn’t open the brain or skull but rattles or otherwise traumatizes the brain) are among the most common equestrian injuries and frequently associated with not wearing a helmet. Of all horseback riding-related injuries that result in hospitalization, around 50 percent are head injuries.”
Tipton is glad that helmets are now required in dressage and competitive driving. Years ago, riders used to wear top hats, which didn’t provide any sort of safety. “It should be noted that horse riding is comparable to football when it comes to traumatic brain injuries. Emphasis on safety is a smart way forward for dressage and competitive driving. Safety is being valued, and proper precautions are being taken.”
Tipton also notes that it’s vital to properly recover from any injuries, especially concussions. She says, “Many people know about concussions because of the National Football League (NFL). Like the NFL, horse riding and bike riding are similar in that everyone should give themselves time to properly recover. Concussions add up, and if you return before you are healed, it can compound the problem and create worse situations down the line.”
Overall, Tipton continues to highlight the importance of helmets. “Helmets make all the difference. I will share an incident I had when my horse tripped and fell into a hard wall. I was fortunate to have my helmet on, or else I could have been seriously injured. Wearing a helmet becomes a habit and you don’t even notice that you are wearing one,” says Tipton.
Tipton is currently accepting new pediatric patients at our Gallipolis, Jackson, and Meigs locations. For more information, or to make an appointment, visit www.holzer.org or call 1-855-446-5937.
