Research shows value of bicycle helmets

Research shows value of bicycle helmets

Updated: 10:29, Monday May 6, 2013

Research shows value of bicycle helmets

Helmets could be more protective for pedal cyclists than motorcyclists, according to a group of doctors who studied head injuries among people admitted to trauma hospitals.

Cyclists without helmets are 5.5 times more likely to suffer a severe head injury than their protected counterparts, say Dr Michael Dinh and his colleagues from the University of Sydney.

Their letter in the May 6 issue of the Medical Journal of Australia says motorcyclists without helmets are 3.5 times more likely to suffer a severe head injury than those with a helmet.

Costs of hospital treatment for patients with a severe head injury are around three times higher for non-helmeted patients than for those who wore a helmet, the authors write.

‘The protective effect of helmet use with respect to head injury prevention appears to be greater in pedal cyclists compared with motorcyclists.’

The doctors used data from 348 patients admitted to seven Sydney trauma hospitals between July 2008 and June 2009 for their study.

Australia is one of only a few countries with mandatory helmet laws for both pedal cyclists and motorcyclists, but the doctors say there is ongoing debate about the benefits of helmet use by pedal cyclists.

The authors say their findings add to the growing weight of observational data supporting the use of helmets, which should be considered at least as protective for pedal cyclists as they are for motorcyclists.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE:

Twitter
Digg
Delicious
Buzz
Reddit
StumbleUpon