Many states have imposed mandatory bicycle helmet laws, either for children or all cyclists. Since bike helmets are 85 to 88 percent effective in preventing serious or fatal head injuries after a bicycle accident, these laws may help protect significant numbers of children and adults from critical injury or death.
Statistics
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, over 500,000 people end up in the emergency room each year due to bicycle accidents and about 700 die. While most deaths occur after the bicyclist collides with a motor vehicle, the majority of nonfatal head injuries are not related to motor vehicle collisions. Children are especially at risk, as nearly 60 percent of bicycle injuries occur in those under 15 years of age.
Recommendations
The CDC and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recommend that all bicyclists wear a helmet every time they ride. The helmet should fit snugly and the chin strap should always be fastened. If you can lift the helmet off your head, the strap needs to be tighter or you need a smaller helmet. If you are in any type of collision or crash, you must replace the helmet. Begin using bike helmets for your children when they start learning to pedal a tricycle. This will help them adopt helmet usage as a habit later.
Laws
State laws vary when it comes to bicycle helmet use. Most states require all cyclists under age 16 to wear helmets; some have a minimum age of 17 or 18. Washington state requires people of all ages to wear bike helmets. Many states have a minimum law that applies to the entire state, but local jurisdictions, such as counties or some cities, have more stringent requirements. For example, in North Carolina, all cyclists under 16 must wear helmets, but in Black Mountain, North Carolina, helmets must be worn at every age.
Potential
Since only an estimated 20 to 25 percent of cyclists wear helmets every time they are on their bikes, the number of head injuries could be reduced if everyone wore a helmet 100 percent of the time. The NHTSA estimates that up to 45,000 head injuries and up to 55,000 scalp and face injuries could be prevented each year if every child under age 16 wore bicycle helmets consistently.
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