MADISON, Wis. -- Summer ushers in warmer weather and outdoor activities, and offers an opportunity to remind young people to wear a helmet when participating in recreation on wheels.

This time of year is also known as "trauma season" as the number of accidental injuries spike in the summer months, health officials said.

Julie Bennett, a mother of three who lives in McFarland, never misses a chance to talk about helmet safety.

"Helmets save lives," Bennett said. "They save the lives of children. They save lives of adults."

Last summer, Bennett herself had a serious accident while riding her bike to work. She went over the handlebars and was knocked unconscious.

"I had never fallen off my bike ever. I didn't expect to fall off my bike. I couldn't control falling off my bike," Bennett said. "It happened in an instant, there was nothing I could have done to save myself. It was the helmet that saved me."

Experts say kids should wear helmets on anything with wheels and one way to ensure they do is to start them early.

Dean Health Care uses their loveable character Crash Helmet to impress the importance of wearing a helmet on children while they're young and to teach them how to wear one correctly.

Crash Helmet's friend Shelly Faust helps to bring the point home with dramatic tales.

"He's OK! How come he's OK?" Faust asked. "Why do you think? He had his helmet on, didn't he?"

The stories carry a powerful message that parents and doctors hope will echo across the entire summer, and it's a message that seems to be sinking in.

"When you wear a helmet, make sure it actually fits and don't wear it really loose on your head," said student Elle Romanin.

"It's good to wear a helmet so you protect your head and don't hit it really hard," said student Lauren Denu.

Dr. Jeffrey Masciopinto, a neurosurgeon at Dean St. Mary's, said the best way to make sure your kids wear helmets is by wearing one yourself.

"The more a community and a culture grows up around wearing helmets and helmet use, the more take there will be in children," said Masciopinto.

Masciopinto said helmets can reduce the number of serious injuries by 85 percent.

"I still cringe every time I see anybody on a bicycle on a street that doesn't have a helmet on," Masciopinto said.

Bike helmets cost between $15 to $30.