I live in the Lakewood Commons area and, like many others, walked over after hearing reports of a possible structure fire nearby. Thankfully, there was no fire and no emergency to report.

What I did see, however, was deeply disturbing.

The streets were packed with hundreds of children who had come outside after hearing the sirens. Many were riding bicycles, yet I could count the number of helmets on one hand. Child after child rode by with absolutely no head protection.

This isn’t about blaming kids. This is about parents.

When you buy your child a bicycle, why isn’t a helmet part of that purchase? A quality helmet costs around $20. It takes seconds to put on, but it could be the difference between walking away from a fall and suffering a life-changing brain injury, or worse.

Every year, we read heartbreaking stories of children who suffer severe head injuries in bicycle accidents. Many of those tragedies could have been prevented with something as simple as wearing a helmet.

Parents, please make helmets non-negotiable. If your child refuses to wear one, then they don’t ride. It’s that simple.

We can’t prevent every accident, but we can prevent needless tragedies. Let’s not wait until the next devastating headline to start taking bicycle safety seriously.

Sincerely,

E. Weinberger

The views expressed in this letter are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of Lakewood Alerts. Have an opinion you would like to share? Send it to us for review.