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Young ‘boarders’ beware

As skateboarding popularity continues to rise, so does the importance of safety. 

Nearly 16,000 people per year visit hospital emergency rooms with skateboard-related injuries, the majority of them boys under the age of 15, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).

Falls that result from unsafe riding surfaces account for more than half of the injuries.  Wrist fractures and sprains are the number one injury from skateboarding.  Deaths and lifelong physical problems can also result.

Gillian Mosier, RN, Trauma Center Manager at The William W. Backus Hospital, home of the only trauma center east of the Connecticut River, said she has seen cases in which skateboarders sustain serious traumatic injuries, some of which can have lifelong implications.

The National Safety Council and The William W. Backus Hospital’s Trauma Center offer these skateboarding tips:

• Wear protective equipment such as closed, slip-resistant shoes, helmets, and specially designed padding. 
• Padded jackets and shorts are available for skateboarders, as well as padding for knees, elbows, and wrists. 
• While wearing protective gear cannot fully protect from fractures, wearing it can reduce the number of severe cuts and scrapes. 
• Helmets should always be worn and properly fit.  A chinstrap should be attached and the helmet should not block the vision or sight of the rider. 

“It might not be cool for kids to wear the helmets, but sustaining a traumatic brain injury isn’t cool either,” Ms. Mosier said.

In addition to protective gear, learning how to fall will also protect against serious injury, according to the National Safety Council:

• If you are losing your balance, crouch down on the skateboard so you will not have as far to fall.
• If you do fall, try to land on the fleshy parts of your body, and try to roll rather than absorb the entire force of the fall with your arms.
• When falling, try to relax your body, rather than stiffening up. 

Children under five years of age should never ride a skateboard, and an adult should closely supervise children 6 to 10 years old.    Here are some additional safety precautions from the National Safety Council and American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons:

• Always give your board a safety check before riding.
• Never ride in the street.
• Obey local laws and traffic regulations for skateboarding.
• Only have one person per skateboard.
• Complicated tricks should be practiced in designated areas, such as skateboard parks. In Norwich, there is a skateboard park located on Mahan Drive.
• Practice falling on soft surface or grass.

These tips can save your life – and a trip to the emergency room.