At first it seems like a perfect spring picture of a family working together on fitness. Mom and Dad are on their bikes. Their grade-school kid is pedaling her own bike and wearing a helmet as Dad tows the toddler in a bike trailer.

What’s wrong with this picture? Only the girl has head protection.

It’s baffling that some parents think they don’t need to wear a bike helmet when there’s every good reason to do so.

“Generally speaking, the adults will buy a helmet more readily for the child than they do for themselves, said Rick Dana, manager at Specialized bike store in Tustin, Calif. “Almost 95 percent of the time, parents recognize that the child needs a helmet for safety. That includes toddlers who are in bike trailers.

Consider sobering statistics from the Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute:

¢ About 540,000 bicyclists visit emergency rooms with injuries every year. Of those, about 67,000 have head injuries.

¢ About 800 bicyclists die in the U.S every year.

¢ Two-thirds of the deaths are from traumatic brain injury.

A helmet is useless if it doesn’t fit properly or isn’t worn correctly. I’ve seen some kids and adults who wear a helmet but don’t fasten the straps. What’s the point of wearing them, then?

Some tips for the entire family when buying helmets:

¢ Don’t guess your kid’s head size, Dana said. Let the kid try on the helmet to get the right fit. Don’t choose a helmet that’s loose with the intention of letting the child’s head “grow into it.”

¢ Chin straps should flank each ear, with a buckle underneath. The straps fastened with a third buckle under the chin should fit snugly. Once strapped on, the helmet should not slide front to back or side to side.