According to CAN-BIKE there are four major ways a cyclist can fall:
- Stopping - The front wheel of the bike hitting something head on, such as a curb, or the back of a vehicle.
- Skidding - The front and/ or the back wheels slide out from under the cyclist. Often this kind of fall can happen on a wet, oily or sandy road surface.
- Diverting - The front wheel is diverted out from under the cyclist. This can happen in a streetcar track, or a rut.
- Loss of balance - The cyclist falls over, usually because of going too slow.
In each case, cyclists can hit their heads on the ground suddenly with little chance to prepare. This reality suggests that the time to prepare is before the ride: put on your helmet before you ride every time.
In a majority of cases, the point of impact is the forehead area. This fact makes it important for cyclists to wear a bike helmet correctly.
The forehead must be covered by the helmet. Remember: two fingers' width is the distance between the eyebrow and the edge of the helmet.
