The introductory story took place with a horse and not a bicycle, but it makes the point very clear. Helmets are not optional for safety, but a requirement for responsible riders on both bicycles and horses.

We did assembly exercises. He didn’t have to wear a helmet, but we decided to wear it anyway. The horse got scared and ran with me half in and half out of the saddle. It was a very short wild ride before it came out and hit the ground hard.

When I came to, I realized how lucky I was. The helmet had a three-inch crack where my head hit a rock. If I had jumped my helmet I would be dead.

Pressure: There is a sign hanging in my garage. He gave it to my husband while he was working as a motorcycle mechanic when he was young. It has a picture of two broken eggs. It says “It only takes seven pounds of pressure to crack your skull.”

When someone hits their head without a helmet at any speed, the skull is in danger. When rocks are involved, which would be a probability on a mountain bike, that pressure is enough to cause serious damage to the skull … unless the rider is wearing a helmet. You may not be completely unscathed. Je n’ai pas. You have a better chance of getting out alive.

Rental: My accident took place in a city. If we had needed them, the paramedics could have arrived in less than ten minutes and I was so far from a hospital. They would have seen me within the “golden hour”, the first hour after an accident. The golden hour is when the most can be done to mitigate injuries.

Usually a mountain bike is used outside of cities. The trails in my area are in rugged mountainous terrain. Hikers and cyclists have had to breathe out when accidents have occurred. Some have died. Of them, some would have survived if they had been using that essential equipment.

Please take my story seriously. If you are participating in sports, make sure you are wearing the correct protective gear. If that includes a helmet, get the right one for your sport and wear it. You can save your life.