20 Common safety risks that were once perfectly legal

On summer streets, a line of children on bikes once meant bare heads, scraped knees, and a lot of confidence. A helmet might have seemed unnecessary, uncool, or simply unavailable in the garage. Falls were treated as part of growing up, the price of learning to ride fast, turn sharply, or jump a curb in front of friends. Head injuries could have lasting consequences, even when the accident looked ordinary at first.