Cycling helmets save lives

ACCORDING TO recent
statistics, the vast majority
of cyclists in Canada who
are killed or seriously in-
jured were not wearing pro-
tective headgear at the time.

Could cycling helmets
have saved their tives or
spared them from brain
damage?

The answer is
pathetic yes.

Head injuries cause about

80% of bicycle-related
“deaths, the Canadian Medi-
cal Association reports, and
you are eight times more
likely to suffer brain dam-
age from an accident if you
don’t wear a helmet.

The purpose of a cycling
helmet is to aci as a shock
absorber, spreading and ab-
sorbing the energy from an
impact to prevent brain in-
jury.

A properly designed cycl-
ing helmet usually consists
of three main elements: a
shell of rigid foam that
crushes on impact, absorb-
ing peak energy and preven-
ting injury to the brain; a
layer of spongy foam and
fabric pads that provides a

an em-

pare iiercrangtes

HOT TIPS
by North Vancouver
District Fire Department

strong strap or retention
system that keeps the helmet
on the head even during a
tumble where the cyclist’s
head hits something solid
after the fall.

By current estimates,
fewer than 20% of Cana-
dian cyclists wear helmets.

Helmet use is especially
low among young cyclists,
even though five-' to 14-
year-old children, puar-
ticularly boys, are the most
prone to accident and inju-
ry.

Whether you’re a child or
an adult, an occasional rider
who sticks to side streets or
an experienced cyclist, you
need to wear a helmet.

Consider these facts:

@ Even a low-speed fall
can injure the brain.

Studies at the University
of Southern California have
shown that what counts is
not how fast you’re going
when you fall, but how far
your head travels to hit the

While the height of the
average cyclist sitting on a
bike is over 1.5 metres (five
feet), a fall from only one
metre when travelling about
1BRokni/h can cause fatal
brain damage.
© Most bicyele crashes do
not involve automobiles,

An accident can happen
anywhere —~ on a sidewalk,
a side street or a_ bicycle
path. Statistics show that
most injuries happen close
to home.

o A hockey helmet is not a
proper substitute for a cycl-
ing helmet.

A hockey helmet is a
“bump’’ rather than a
“erash’? helmet; its inner
liner is not designed to pro-
vide the same protection
against a falling impact.

District of North Van-
couver Fire Services wishes
to thank Canadian Stand-
ards Association (CSA) for
information in this article.

To obiain a free copy of
How to Purchase a Bicycle
Helmet write to: The Edi-
tor, CSA and The Con-
sumer, 378 Rexdale Blvd.,
Rexdale (Toronto), Ontario

CHARTWELL ELEMENTARY school students jumped rope an
Tuesday, May 4, for two hours in teams of six, to raise money for

NEWS photo Pau! tcGrath

the Heart and Stroke Foundation of B.C. and Yuken.

(i7¢ _ Water
3 ‘ is a valuable

comfortable fit; and a pavement. M9W IR3.

development courses

VCC offers real estate

VANCOUVER COM-
MUNITY College, Continu-
ing Education is offering
several practica! evening
courses in real estate devel-
opment.

These may be taken for

Sussex Group
Westmar Realty
279-9822

credit towards the Real
Estate Development Certifi-
cate,

Courses scheduled this
term include Introduction to
Real Estate Development
(109201), Real Estate De-

Pauline

velopment Finance (109202),
and Public Approval Pro-
cess for Real Estate Devel-
opment (109203).

For information and reg-
istration call 443-8380.

Emerald Manor
First time offered! 58

irch

Colin Foo -
Mirza Kassam
Linda Lait

TESOUTTE —

USE IT WISELY

City and Water
Views Availablel! .

¢ Tired of throwing away money on rent?
* On site preferred financing with CIBC

* Discounted legal package
° Insuite laundry * No GST!

* Concrete floors * Secured U/G parking
Sales Office: 983-0685

360 E. 2nd Street,
North Vancouver

Mon-Thur 2-7. Sat & Sun 1-5

| [raz

East 2nd Street

_ Lonsdale Ave.
St. Patricks Ave.

Lonsdale Quay

Seabus Terminal