As a child, I always wore a helmet when I rode my bike. Many of my friends did not. Whenever I asked if I could ride my bike without a helmet I was always told it was too dangerous. Now as I teenager, I almost never ride my bike but when I do I don’t wear a helmet anymore.
I realize now that as a child our heads our softer than when we get older. Our bones harden and become more difficult to break. As a child it is important to wear a helmet when riding a bike. Not because we think you are going to go flying off your bike and land head first on the pavement, a helmet probably wouldn’t do much at that point, but because it prepares you for the future. By always being told that you need to wear a helmet on your bike, it makes you more keen to wear a helmet on a motorcycle or a moped. It also acts sort of as a reminder to always buckle up in the car.
At every age we are constantly having safety precautions forced upon us. Some are a reminder, and some are just overprotective parents. I personally think that by the time your child turns five or six, he or she no longer needs a car seat. And booster seats in the car almost seem more dangerous than your child being just a little short for the seat belt. Booster seats are likely to slip out from underneath your child if you stop abruptly or get into an accident. That could quite possibly injure your child more than if they never used one. It is far too easy to accidentally slip up when strapping it into your car.
As for children sitting in the front seat, I think you should wait until ten. If a child under ten were to get hit by an airbag, the results would be more severe than a child ten or over. At the average age of about ten to twelve children’s bones have started to harden and are fully developing. Before then the child’s bones are still far too supple to be hit by an air bag. If an airbag can full out shatter a fully grown man’s wrist, then what would it do to your developing child?
Now airbags are still lifesavers, but to a child they may harm more than protect. Wait until your child’s bones are developed enough to put them in the front seat. The age may also differ depending on the kid. Talk with your child’s doctor for more information.