Ouch!It was dark outside, and I had crashed my bike pretty badly. I realized I wasspitting blood and my lip was caught on my braces. My leg really hurt,too.

When I looked up after seeing if I had a broken arm, I noticed about40 headlights shining on me. Cars were waiting for me to move my bike. When theynoticed I was in pain, people came running, asking what had happened. I wasafraid they all thought I was crazy, because I was just sitting there on the sideof the road.

One family rushed me home and my brother Josh called my dadand told him to pick me up and rush me to the hospital.

Waiting for mydad, I looked at my lip. I looked and felt horrible; I had ripped part of my gumaway and my lip was still caught in my braces. I was still bleeding, and I knew Iwould have to get stitches.

To get my lip off my braces the doctor had touse pliers. I left the hospital with stitches, a leg brace, and a helmet.

Which brings me to my point: Always wear a helmet. Wearing a helmet can save yourlife. If I had worn one that night, I would have only had a fewscratches.

I found some incredible statistics that are very interestingand scary. It changed my mind about wearing a helmet, and I hope they changeyours, too:

- Over 500,000 bicyclists are admitted to emergency roomsevery year because of bicycle crash-related injuries.

- 900 people dieevery year from bike-related crashes.

- 98% of those 900 bicyclistskilled were not wearing helmets.

- 60% of bike-related deaths are due toserious head injuries.

- Helmets can reduce the risk of head injury by asmuch as 85% and the risk of brain injury by as much as 88%.

- It isestimated that 75% of bicycle-related fatalities among children could have beenprevented with a helmet.

I know helmets are embarrassing, but they cansave your brain and your life. I know kids who wear helmets when they go BMXriding because they do not want what happened to me to happen to them. You canpurchase one for as little as $15, which is not much compared with injuring yourbrain or death. A helmet can prevent a regular bike wreck from becoming a major