Bicycle helmets reduce risk of serious head injury by 70%
- Sep 23, 2016
- EmmaArnold
Cyclists who wear a helmet are 70% less likely to suffer a serious head injury, a study has found.
The researchers in Australian conducted the worldwide study with more than 64,000 cyclists involved.
The study also found those who wear helmets reduce their chance of a fatal head injury by 65% but found neck injuries are not associated with helmet use.
It is compulsory for cyclists to wear helmets in Australia which has caused some controversy and frustration amongst some cyclists.
Jeremy Smith, personal injury solicitor at PotterReesDolan, said:
This is a very interesting study from Australia and for some will be an argument for making the wearing of cycle helmets compulsory in this country. However, I’m very much aware that some cycling organisations argue that wearing helmets is only one of a range of options needed to make cycling safer, and that improving cycling infrastructure should take priority.
There’s also evidence that the more cyclists there are around, the safer the roads become, and therefore anything that acts as a barrier to cycling could be counterproductive. Personally though I always make sure to wear my helmet on my daily cycling commute to work.
However, some critics claim that the strict helmet laws in Australia put people off cycling which can result in far wider issues in terms of weight-related health problems.
The tougher penalties recently enforced by the New South Wales government include fines for not wearing a helmet, for cyclists to carry identification and insurance.
Whether cyclist insurance should be made compulsory is a topic of debate here at PotterReesDolan. Read here what two keen cyclists and solicitors had to say.