By RICHARD SKOLNIK
White Rock

Los Alamos County recently proclaimed May to be both “Bike Month” and “Motorcycle Awareness Month.” Thus, I present below a few important facts on the effectiveness of bicycle and motorcycle helmets.

Bicycle Helmets

Bicycle riding is one of the leading causes of head injuries among children. Every year, about 26,000 children are seen in Emergency Departments in the US for head injuries related to bicycling, with traumatic brain injuries most highly associated with mortality. Helmet use leads to a 65% reduction in upper- and mid-face injuries; a 60% reduction in serious head injuries; and a 53% reduction in traumatic brain injuries. Using a bicycle helmet also decreases the severity of injuries.

Motorcycle Helmets

More than 180,000 motorcyclists were treated for crash injuries in 2020 and more than 5,500 died as a result of their injuries. More than 70% of those not wearing a helmet died at the scene of the accident. The other 30% not wearing a helmet had worse injuries and were more likely to die later than those who wore a helmet. Motorcycle helmets are 37% effective in saving the life of the driver and 41% effective in saving the life of the passenger. Helmets also reduce the risk of head injury by 69%.

Economic Costs of Not Wearing Helmets and Who Pays for Them

Bicycle and motorcycle injuries have significant economic costs. This is especially so for traumatic brain injuries, whose average hospital cost is about $90,000. In addition, 48% of the costs of healthcare in the US are borne by the federal or state and local governments, much of whose money comes from our taxes.

The Bottom Line

Wear a helmet on a bicycle or motorcycle. If you are a parent, see that your children wear a bike helmet. You and your children are less like to get injured, be disabled, or die. You are also less likely to impose substantial economic costs on your family and your neighbors from injuries which might have been avoided.

(Richard Skolnik is the former Director for Health, Nutrition, and Population for South Asia at the World Bank. He was a Lecturer at The George Washington University and Yale, at which he still holds an appointment in the School of Public Health. He is the author of Global Health 101, Fourth Edition and the Instructor for the Yale/Coursera online course Essentials of Global Health.)