Preventing Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)

To reduce the risk of sustaining a concussion or a more serious TBI, patients should be advised to:

• Wear a seat belt every time they drive or ride in a motor vehicle.
• Buckle their child in the car using a child safety seat, booster seat, or seat belt (according to the child's height, weight, and age).
• Children should start using a booster seat when they outgrow their child safety seats (usually when they weigh about 40 pounds). They should continue to ride in a booster seat until the lap/shoulder belts in the car fit properly, typically when they are approximately 4'9" tall.³⁶
• Never driving while under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
• Wear a helmet and make sure their children wear helmets when:
• Riding a bike, motorcycle, snowmobile, scooter, or all-terrain vehicle;
• Playing a contact sport, such as football, ice hockey, or boxing;
• Using in-line skates or riding a skateboard;
• Batting and running bases in baseball or softball;
• Riding a horse; or
• Skiing or snowboarding.
• Ensure that during athletic games and practices that they and/or their children:
• Use the right protective equipment;
• Follow the rules for safety and the rules of the sport;
• Practice good sportsmanship; and
• Do not return to play with a known or suspected concussion until evaluated and given permission by an appropriate health care professional.
• Maintain a regular physical activity program, if their health care provider agrees, to improve lower body strength and balance.^14-16
• Make living areas safer for seniors, by:
• Removing tripping hazards such as throw rugs and clutter in walkways;
• Using nonslip mats in the bathtub and on shower floors;
• Installing grab bars next to the toilet and in the tub or shower;
• Installing handrails on both sides of stairways;
• Improving lighting throughout the home; and
• Maintaining a regular physical activity program, if their health care provider agrees, to improve lower body strength and balance.^37-40
• Make living areas safer for children, by:
• Installing window guards to keep young children from falling out of open windows;
• Using safety gates at the top and bottom of stairs when young children are around;
• Keeping stairs clear of clutter;
• Securing rugs and using rubber mats in bathtubs; and
• Not allowing children to play on fire escapes or on other unsafe platforms.
• Make sure playground surfaces are made of shock-absorbing material, such as hardwood mulch or sand, and are maintained to an appropriate depth.^41,42

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