Use Your Head: Wear a Helmet

There seems to be a preponderance of people riding bicycles without helmets. I’m not referring to those professional-looking types in aerodynamic outfits who fly down the road, but rather the casual riders -- many riding along with kids -- who seemed to have spurned helmets for the feeling of the wind in their hair.

Okay, I get it: if motorcyclists can rocket down the highway at 65 miles per hour without being encumbered by headwear, than why should Joe Schmo on his 10-speed? Really? You know the answer. And here are the cold statistics from 2009 (the most recent year available) from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration:

* Bicyclist deaths represented two percent of all 2009 traffic fatalities.

* Fifty-one thousand bicyclists were injured in traffic in 2009 (up sharply from 43,000 in 2007).

* Ninety-one percent of bicyclists killed in 2008 reportedly were not wearing helmets.

Wearing a bike helmet is a cheap alternative to an emergency room visit. You can spend anywhere from $15 to $215 on a bike helmet and you’ll protect that noggin while you enjoy the road.

So, ride safely. And while we’re on the subject of wellness: eat your vegetables.

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