The Necessity of Bicycle Helmet Laws

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The Necessity of Bicycle Helmet Laws

Bicycle accidents have increased dramatically in the United States. About 500 American children and teenagers die each year in bicycle accidents, and three-quarters of those deaths come from head injuries (Jacques 1). Recent federal safety reports suggest that helmets can reduce the risk of head injury, but that only 4% of children under the age of ten wear helmets when bicycling. The percentage drops even more for young riders, particularly the rebellious 11- to 14-year-old age group. The younger generation often cites peer pressure, or the "nerd" factor, as the main reason for not wearing a helmet, and many adults say, "I did not wear one as a child, and I'm all right." Although states have been slow to mandate helmet laws because of such attitudes, I support development of bicycle laws. Mandatory helmet use for children under 16 will be effective in reducing head injuries, deaths, and medical insurance costs that affect us all.

A report by the federal safety agency confirms mandated helmet laws reduce the risk of head injuries when bicyclists are involved in an accident. The majority of fatal bicycle accidents involve collision with a motorized vehicle of some kind. According to Louis Jacques, Assistant Professor at Wayne State University, bicycle-associated injuries account for an estimated 600,000 emergency room visits yearly in the United States, and about half of the bicycle accidents are head trauma. However, the federal safety report shows that bicycle helmets can reduce this number of head injuries by 85 percent. Unfortunately, the report also confirms that the use of bicycle helmets remains low unless mandated by law (296). Despite the fact that helmets don't pre...

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...ncreased helmet use, will not only reduce head injuries by 85 percent, reduce deaths, and save millions of dollars for families and taxpayers, but also will spare parents immeasurable anguish. Regardless of one's personal stand on the use of helmets, it can't hurt bicyclists to wear them; it can certainty help. Bicyclists should use their heads by putting helmets on them!

Works Cited

Baum, Bob. "Bicycle Injuries." The Seattle Times. 22 Oct. 2013: A1.

Carnale, Jim. Personal Interview. 22 April 2013.

Jacques, Louis "Cycling." Public Health Report. March 2014: 296-301.

Pessah, Joseph. "Safe Cycling." Newsday. 20 Nov. 2014: 7-8.

Sacks, Jeffrey. " How many Are Preventable." Journal of the American Medical Association. 4 Dec. 2013: 3016-18.

Weiss, Barry. "Bicycle helmets." Journal of the American Medical Association. 4 Dec. 2013: 3032 -33.

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