Safety on Wheels
When it comes to bike, skateboard & ATV injuries, wearing a helmet is the best way to prevent serious and permanent damage to your brain.  And in case you haven’t noticed a healthy functioning brain is a pretty necessary part of your life.  Wearing a helmet may not be what everyone else is doing, and being like everyone else is important to you.  So go ahead and be like everyone else, just be sure to let your parents know who can have your skateboard/bike, cell phone, video games, & MP3 player.  Kinda harsh?  Well, you really won’t need any of that stuff if you suffer a serious brain injury.  So maybe you should read about being different  (smart) and wearing a helmet:

Buy a helmet that meets or exceeds current safety standards developed by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (http://cpsc.gov). Contact the Tucson fire Department Public Education Department information on low or no cost bike helmet programs in your area (520) 791-4502
Do the "Eyes, Ears and Mouth" check:
EYES check: Position the helmet on your head.  Look up and you should see the bottom rim of the helmet (one to two fingers above the eyebrows).
EARS check:  Make sure the straps of the helmet form a "V" under your ears when buckled.  The strap should be snug but comfortable.
MOUTH check:  Now open your mouth as wide as you can!  Do you feel the helmet hug your head?  If not, tighten those straps! 

Ride Safe – Ride Smart!

So you have your helmet on…EXCELLENT!  But let’s talk about how and where to ride because riding safe and smart will also keep you from having to give me all of your cool tech stuff!

Crossing the Street
When crossing the street with wheels you should always:

Look left
Look right
Look left again

Getting into this habit will also make you an excellent and safe vehicle driver! Don’t ride across the street - always walk your wheels across the street. 

Left, Right, Stop!

It is important that you know how to use hand signals when riding.  You gotta let us car drivers know what you plan to do.  Always use your left hand when making signals:

Helmets too expensive? Contact the Tucson fire Department Public Education Department information on low or no cost bike helmet programs in your area (520) 791-5515.