Volume 5, Issue 1 June 2008

Bicycle and In-Line Skating Safety News.

In-Line Skating Fastest Growing Sport

Injuries Up Dramaticallyby Mary Beth Luhrsen

Last year, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC)

released some alarming news on in-line skating, now the fastest growing recreational sport in

America. They projected 83,000 serious injuries in 2008, more

than double those of 2007. Even more alarming is the fact that children under age 15 account

for 60% of these injuries.

The point is that in-line skating can be quite dangerous.

Skaters often share the pavement with cars, trucks,

bicyclists, pedestrians, and pets and encounter loose gravel,

potholes, puddles, and cracks. Add to that the fact that it is possible to achieve speeds

exceeding 30 miles per hour, and you’ve got “accidents” waiting to

happen.

Most injuries are wrist fractures, followed by elbows or

lower arm fractures. Head injuries are not far behind. In

fact, the CPSC projected that in 2008, 7,000 people would sustain

head injuries—by far the most potentially disabling and even

fatal of all in-line skating injuries.

Fortunately, safety education and appropriate

protection can make a difference. The International In-Line Skating Association (IISA) recommends

helmets be certified to the ANSI, ASTM, or Snell bicycle helmet

safety standards. Remember to think “Safety on Wheels” in 2008.

A Message to Parentsby Mary Beth and Dane Luhrsen

For the past four years, Ride Safe has been committed to

promoting safe bicycling and bicycle helmets. We started with our own four children (ages 2–8), who didn’t want to wear helmets because their friends didn’t wear

them. We thought if we could

offer “cool” looking helmets to a group of children, we could diminish this negative peer

pressure. Our strategy worked, and the Ride Safe program has

already convinced 300,000 people at over 2,500 schools to

wear bicycle helmets.

In 2002, we expanded our program to include

educational materials and protective gear for another very popular sport—in-line skating.

Our new Safety on Wheels™

program includes safety gear made by Skating—In Line, “the

choice of champions.”

We hope you will play an active role in your children’s “Safety on Wheels” and give

serious consideration to purchasing protective equipment for your entire family. If you have

any questions about Ride Safe products and services, please call

us at 800-555-RIDE.