Are Bicycle Helmet Laws Effective? AmericanCyclist.com Reports
/EINPresswire.com/ It is generally accepted that bicycle helmets do lower the risk of serious head injuries and death, then why do fewer than half of the states require their use?
Generally, when most people think of cyclists, they will often also picture that ubiquitous cycling accessory, the bike helmet. But in the cycling world, there is some debate of whether there should be mandatory helmet laws implemented in individual states and for that matter, throughout the country. AmericanCyclist.com reviewed the data and some of the prevailing opinions on bicycle helmets and helmet law implementations. The issue comes down to whether or not mandatory helmet laws are actually effective in decreasing the number of head injuries cyclists get every year.
It is generally accepted that bicycle helmets do lower the risk of serious head injuries and death. In 1989, the New England Journal of Medicine published a case-controlled study about the effectiveness of bicycle safety helmets. Their results are one of the most cited when this issue arises as they conclude that there is an 85% reduction of head injury and an 88% reduction of brain injury for riders who do wear helmets.
There are still a number of active cyclists who will argue that learning how to ride safely and with heightened awareness is ultimately more crucial in preventing injuries than wearing a helmet. Really? While there is no national law requiring cyclists to wear helmets, 21 individual states and multiple localities within them have had their own helmet laws since 1987. Additionally, BMJ Injury Prevention reports that helmet laws increase helmet use by 18.4%. But some areas including the city of Portland, have reported no real effect of their helmet legislation and further, head injuries have even increased as more riders have been active.
The entire report can be found at AmericanCyclist.com.
About AmericanCyclist.com
The mission of American Cyclist is to get more people, riding more bikes more places, safely. That means supporting organizations, individuals and businesses that support cycling.
Gary Bryant
AmericanCyclist.com
2064550909
http://americancyclist.com
PR Courtesy of Online PR Media: http://bit.ly/z5Lkzs
Generally, when most people think of cyclists, they will often also picture that ubiquitous cycling accessory, the bike helmet. But in the cycling world, there is some debate of whether there should be mandatory helmet laws implemented in individual states and for that matter, throughout the country. AmericanCyclist.com reviewed the data and some of the prevailing opinions on bicycle helmets and helmet law implementations. The issue comes down to whether or not mandatory helmet laws are actually effective in decreasing the number of head injuries cyclists get every year.
It is generally accepted that bicycle helmets do lower the risk of serious head injuries and death. In 1989, the New England Journal of Medicine published a case-controlled study about the effectiveness of bicycle safety helmets. Their results are one of the most cited when this issue arises as they conclude that there is an 85% reduction of head injury and an 88% reduction of brain injury for riders who do wear helmets.
There are still a number of active cyclists who will argue that learning how to ride safely and with heightened awareness is ultimately more crucial in preventing injuries than wearing a helmet. Really? While there is no national law requiring cyclists to wear helmets, 21 individual states and multiple localities within them have had their own helmet laws since 1987. Additionally, BMJ Injury Prevention reports that helmet laws increase helmet use by 18.4%. But some areas including the city of Portland, have reported no real effect of their helmet legislation and further, head injuries have even increased as more riders have been active.
The entire report can be found at AmericanCyclist.com.
About AmericanCyclist.com
The mission of American Cyclist is to get more people, riding more bikes more places, safely. That means supporting organizations, individuals and businesses that support cycling.
Gary Bryant
AmericanCyclist.com
2064550909
http://americancyclist.com
PR Courtesy of Online PR Media: http://bit.ly/z5Lkzs
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