Report: Some parents admit their children never wear bicycle helmets

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) - With summer-like weather in full swing, kids are probably itching to get outside and maybe go for a bike ride. An alarming poll shows that many kids won’t be wearing a helmet.

Dr. Free Hess, a pediatrician working in Pediatric Emergency Medicine, posted a picture of a mangled helmet on her social media page. Dr. Hess wants people to imagine this blow being taken by a child's head without the protection of a helmet.

If you or a child is riding a bike, skateboard, roller skates, hover boards, scooter, or anything else that has a risk of head trauma, they need to have a helmet on every time.

Researchers polled more than 1,300 parents who have at least one child aged between four and 13. Nearly 20% said their child does not wear a helmet while riding their bike. Almost 60% also said their child skips the helmet while riding a skateboard.

When it comes to age, the younger kids were more likely to wear a helmet. A recent study from nationwide children's hospital shows that nearly 600 kids go the ER every day for bicycle-related injuries.

Helmets can make the difference between a simple concussion, severe neurological injury and even death.