EDITORIAL
HELMETS MAKE SENSE

In this issue we present two articles that describe a disturbing trend – the increase in motorcycle injuries and fatalities following the repeal of laws requiring their use. In Wisconsin and in Arkansas, helmet laws were repealed and what followed was an increase in injury. The message is clear – helmet laws make a difference. We also report on two studies that emphasize that even when wearing laws are in place, education and enforcement must also occur. In Georgia, the wearing law does not specify that a motorcycle helmet must comply with the recognized standard, and almost 15% of riders are wearing helmets that are substandard. The reasons for this are unclear. Perhaps the motorcyclists may not know the difference, they do like the styling of a compliant helmet, or they wear substandard helmets as a protest against wearing helmets at all. Whatever the reason, motorcyclists wearing these helmets are risking injury and death. In Thailand, education is needed to make motorcycle operators aware of motoring rules, including helmet wearing.

On the bicycle helmet front, reports from Georgia and Australia show that attention is focusing on strategies to reduce bicycle injury besides helmet wearing. There has been great change in attitudes toward bicycle helmet wearing in the U.S. More children are wearing helmets, as are their parents. Even professional bicycle racers are wearing helmets – just watch them during the Tour de France. It is appropriate to start adding injury prevention strategies other than helmet promotion, at least here in the U.S.

In the next issue we will report on helmet promotion campaigns that have been introduced by employers, schools, and communities. We’d love to hear about your efforts to promote helmets. Please write us.

Have a pleasant summer.

Philip L. Graitcer
Facillitator, WHO Helmet Initiative

TRENDS IN ARKANSAS MOTORCYCLE TRAUMA AFTER HELMET LAW REPEAL
According to a recent study published in the Southern Medical Journal, the repeal of Arkansas’s mandatory motorcycle helmet law in 1997 resulted in an increase in the rate of total crashes, injuries and fatalities. Read More.

AUSTRALIA: DO BICYCLE LANES REDUCE INJURIES?
Australian Law requires helmets for all cyclists.  Since compliance is good, injury researchers in Australia are turning to other strategies to reduce bicycle injuries in children. Read More.

WISCONSIN: INCREASED RISK OF DEATH AND DISABLITY IN UNHELMETED MOTORCYCLISTS
New data show the long lasting effects of forgoing a helmet while motorcycling.  Unhelmeted motorcycle riders involved in crashes are more likely to be admitted to a hospital because of their injuries, more likely to be admitted to a nursing home or other long-term care facility when discharged, more likely to incur significantly higher costs for their medical treatment, and more likely to have consumed alcohol prior to driving. Read More.

THAILAND: EFFECT OF A MANDATORY HELMET LAW ON FATALITIES
Common wisdom dictates that enacting a law requiring that all motorcyclists use a helmet (Mandatory Helmet Use Act) would reduce the number of head injuries and deaths among riders. But a recent study conducted in Thailand hasn’t supported that assumption. Read More.

GEORGIA: NONSTANDARD MOTORCYCLE HELMETS BEING USED
In most states the United States motorcycle operators are required to wear a helmet. In Georgia, some cyclists are skirting those laws with nonstandard helmets. Many of the cyclists who choose to use nonstandard helmets believe helmets are a nuisance. Read More.

GEORGIA: BIKE SENSE
The Georgia Department of Transportation, has published “Georgia Bike Sense, A Guide for Cyclists and Motorists.” This guide - although specific to Georgia’s traffic laws - contains much useful information about helmets and biking safety. You can get a copy here.