Chad McLain Appears on Good Day Tulsa to Discuss Bicycle Safety

On Tuesday, November 5^th, 2013 Chad McLain appeared on Good Day Tulsa and spoke with Laura Moss about the importance of bicycle safety. Chad’s guest appearance is part of an ongoing consumer safety campaign launched by Graves McLain earlier this month to educate riders of all ages on the serious dangers of riding without a helmet.

The attorneys at Graves McLain handle head and spinal cord injury cases that come into the office when a bicyclist is hit by a careless driver. While not all accidents can be avoided, wearing a bicycle helmet while riding can reduce the risk of head injury by 85%. A broken arm will mend. Scrapes and bruises heal, but a head or spine injury can have devastating effects that last a lifetime.

Bicycle fatalities represent just over 2% of all traffic fatalities, yet bicycle travel accounts for only 1% of all travel in the United States. Because of their lack of protection and relaxed helmet laws, bicyclists are at a greater risk of serious injury or death as they travel the roadways.

In 2012, 56% of all reported bike crashes in the city of Tulsa involved a person under the age of 29 and 33%, under the age of 16.

Below are important safety tips to keep your loved ones safe while riding the Tulsa, OK roadways:

– Always wear a helmet, no exception. No one ever expects to be in an accident, yet they happen every day. A helmet is often the only piece of safety gear that will save your life in the event of an accident.

– Make sure all of your families’ bikes are equipped with reflectors and are checked for corrosion before going on a ride.

– Remind your children to ride with both hands on the handlebars and to be sure their helmets cover their forehead while fastened.

– Teach your children to cross only at intersections after looking both ways, and to pass other bikers on their left.

– While driving in the car, point out the designated bike lanes on the road to your children so that they may familiarize themselves with where it is safe to travel.

Bicycle safety is important at any age. Please remember to encourage your children to follow these simple tips and to always lead by example.

Graves McLain will be present at the Tulsa Oiler’s game on November 24^th and will be giving away youth safety helmets to five lucky fans as part of their effort to keep families in Tulsa riding safely.