"More than 85 percent of head injuries can be prevented by wearing a bike helmet," says Carol Hasty, a nurse at Children's Medical Center of Dallas and coordinator of the Dallas-Area SAFE KIDS Coalition.

Unfortunately, about 400 U.S. children under the age of 15 die each year while riding bicycles, and another 400,000 require emergency room treatment, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). In fact, bikes are linked to more childhood injuries than any other consumer product except the car.

Cycling injuries, especially head injuries, are a serious, yet highly-preventable problem. With the proper equipment, education and training, most injuries can be prevented. The first place to start is to make a bicycle helmet part of every child's riding gear.

Parents know it can be difficult to get a child to wear a helmet. So here are some tips from the experts:
Make a deal with your child: No helmet, no ride.
Have children wear a helmet from the very first time they ride a tricycle or bike.
Be a good role model. Parents also should wear a helmet when riding a bike.
Join with neighborhood parents to get all the kids to wear helmets.
Ask your school to establish a helmet rule for children who ride bikes to school.

As important as it is to strap on a helmet when riding, it's just as important to take it off when not riding. Hasty warns kids never to wear a helmet when they're on playground equipment. Children have been strangled when their chinstraps caught on slides or swings.