Helmet Safety

Head injury is not only the leading cause of epilepsy, it is also the leading cause of death in bicycle crashes and is the most important determinant of bicycle-related death and permanent disability.  It is estimated that 75% of bicycle-related fatalities among children could be prevented with a helmet.

Head injuries account for more than:

• 60% of bicycle-related deaths
• Two-thirds of bicycle-related hospital admissions
• About one-third of hospital emergency room visits for bicycling injuries

Bicycle helmets have been shown to annually:

• Reduce the risk of head injury by as much as 85%
• Reduce the risk of brain injury by as much as 88%
• Prevent 135 – 155 deaths of children ages 4 to 15
• Prevent 39,000 – 45,000 head injuries

If 85% of all child cyclists wore bicycle helmets in one year, the lifetime medical costs savings could total between $109 million and $142 million.