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IMO view: Safety first in bike riding
Last week, I lived my worst nightmare — I watched in horror as my nephew was thrown from his bike
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ast week, I lived my worst nightmare — I watched in horror as my nephew was thrown from his bike.
My brother and I took him for a ride with a boy from next door — he was 8 and my nephew was 6. We rode down our usual path, and they raced along while we followed them closely. I found it hard to control them, and they raced along and ignored warnings from us to slow down.
We were thrown off guard when the road forked into a descending slope. My nephew and his friend swerved swiftly into the dangerous lane.
They were speeding down the steep road. I screamed loudly “Stop…slow down!” to no avail. But it was too late. My nephew lost his balance. The bike threw him off and he fell hard into
the concrete.
He smashed his shoulder first, and rolled twice, before stopping. He was sitting in an awkward position when I arrived seconds later. He stifled a cry, and I rushed to hold him. He was now crying in pain.
I assessed the damage. Despite his hard fall, it was a miracle he did not suffer a head injury. I was glad, but I still felt like a bad auntie. My brother also rushed to his aide.
His knees and elbow were bleeding, and there were some bruises on his left arm and leg. It all seemed like minor external injuries.
It was when I touched his shoulder, he cried out in pain. I held him in my lap, trying to comfort him.
It was a real nightmare to watch helplessly as our loved one got into such a terrible accident as a result of our carelessness — we should have given him wrist, elbow and knee pads, plus most importantly a helmet to ensure his safety.
Bike safety instructions make children more aware of the potential risks and dangers while riding, and educates them on how to reduce the chances of serious injury, including head injuries and broken bones.
It is obligatory for parents to teach their children bicycle safety before they pedal a bike for the first time.
The most important thing is to equip children with safety gear before embarking on a ride: wrist, elbow and knee pads, plus a helmet, and even gloves if necessary.
Herlina
Jakarta
