News Article From healthfinder.gov – Study Shows Bicycle
Helmets Save Lives
MONDAY, Oct. 15 (HealthDay News) — A new study offers more proof that
bicycle helmets prevent fatal head injuries.
Canadian researchers examined data on all 129 cycling deaths that
occurred in the province of Ontario between January 2006 and December
2010. The cyclists ranged in age from 10 to 83 years old, and 86 percent
were boys or men. Motor vehicles were involved in 77 percent of the
deaths.
Cyclists who died of a head injury were three times less likely to be
wearing a helmet than those who died of other injuries, according to the
study, which was published in the CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association
Journal).
"We saw an association between dying as a result of sustaining head
injury and not wearing a helmet," wrote Dr. Navindra Persaud, of the
Keenan Research Centre and the Department of Family and Community
Medicine at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto, and co-authors. "These
results are consistent with a protective effect of helmets on cycling
deaths."
The findings mean that cyclists who do not wear a helmet have a three
times greater risk of dying from head injuries than those who wear a
helmet.
Cycling deaths account for more than 2 percent of traffic fatalities,
according to a journal news release. One cyclist dies every week in
Canada.
"While legislating helmet use is controversial and inconsistent in
Canada, our study shows that wearing helmets saves lives," Persaud and
colleagues said. "Policies and campaigns that promote helmet use may
decrease cycling mortality."
More information
The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has more about
bicycle safety
<http://www.nhtsa.gov/people/injury/pedbimot/bike/kidsandbikesafetyweb/i
ndex.htm> .
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