On
May 6, 2013 the results of a decade-long study on the effectiveness of
mandatory bicycle helmet laws were presented to the Pediatric Academic
Societies at their annual meeting in Washington, DC. The study's lead
author is Dr. William P. Meehan, director of the Micheli Center for
Sports Injury Prevention and the Sports Concussion Clinic at Boston
Children's Hospital.
The
study analyzed data on all U.S. bicyclists under the age of 16 who were
killed or incapacitated between January 1999 and December 2009. Dr.
Meehan and his colleagues defined an incapacitating injury as "one that
prevents a person from walking or normally continuing the activities he
or she was capable of before the injury." Even controlling for factors
such as states' legal blood alcohol limits and elderly driving laws,
there was a statistically significant difference in the number of deaths
and incapacitating injuries among children under 16 in states with
mandatory helmet laws. Specifically, there were 2
fatalities/incapacitating injuries per 1 million children in states with mandatory helmet laws, as opposed to 2.5 fatalities/incapacitating injuries per 1 million children in states without mandatory helmet laws.
There
are approximately 900 bicycling-related deaths nationwide each year.
Among these 900 deaths, an estimated 75% result from head injuries.
Dr. Meehan and his colleagues assert that this number would drop with
mandatory bicycle helmet laws. Currently, only 21 states and the
District of Columbia have mandatory bicycle helmet laws. Illinois does
not have a statewide law requiring the use of bicycle helmets for adults
or children.
The
Illinois Bicycle Attorneys at Keating Law Offices strongly encourage
all Chicago area bicyclists to invest in properly fitting helmets and
other safety equipment. Unfortunately, even the most experienced
bicyclists cannot control against certain safety threats, such as
reckless motorists. Keating Law Offices has represented a number of
clients injured in bicycle collisions whose injuries would have been
much more severe, if not fatal, had they not been wearing helmets. Helmets do work. As the old adage goes, "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure."
If you have any questions regarding this post please contact Illinois Bicycle Attorney Mike Keating at 312-208-7702 or MKeating@KeatingLegal.com.
