A pediatrician has posted a chilling photo that makes it clear how important it is to wear a helmet. The image might be difficult to view, but that is exactly why its reminder matters so much.

Kids should wear a helmet every time they ride a bike or scooter. We never know when an accident will happen, and if it does the injuries can be devastating. Despite doctors' earnest advice, 1 in 5 parents do not require their children to wear helmets. In this case, a picture is worth a thousand words.

Facebook page Pediamom posted a photo of a bike helmet after it was worn in an accident. The helmet is so torn up, it is completely unrecognizable. Pediamom prompts us to imagine what would have happened to a child's head had the helmet not been on. The image has gone viral, reminding parents and kids of exactly why helmets need to be on without exception.

READ MORE: How To Teach A Child To Ride A Bike

The viral post's caption explains that kids come into the emergency room fairly often with head trauma after bike accidents without their helmets. Collisions with cars do happen, but staying off the road isn't enough. Many of the incidents happen after children fall from their bikes or lose control while riding.

One commenter praised the pediatrician for bringing this issue to light. According to her comment, she suffered a serious accident as a child after riding helmetless. The injuries she endured caused severe neurological damage and she missed almost a full school year. All of this trauma could have been avoided if she had been wearing a helmet.

If head protection is so important, this leads us to wonder why a whopping 18% of parents do not enforce helmet wearing with their kids. Maybe they think it's excessive protection or assume that an accident is unlikely. The fact is, all kids will fall off their bikes at some point. It's the nature of the sport. We can't predict when their tumbles will be minor and when they might cause serious head injuries. The latter is no joke and can affect them for a lifetime. Why take the chance?

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