Study Says Bicycle Helmets Reduce Risk of Brain and Facial Injuries
From Times staff reports
Bicycle helmets, regardless of type, reduce the risk of brain injury and facial injuries by at least 65%, according to two University of Washington studies in the Dec. 25 Journal of the American Medical Assn. Epidemiologist Diane C. Thompson studied 3,390 injured bicyclists and concluded that the helmets reduced the risk of any head injury by 69% and of serious brain injuries by 74%.
The team found no differences in the protective effects of hard-shell, thin-shell and no-shell helmets. The team also noted that they did not study bicyclists who had accidents but did not report them, so the protective effects could be as high as 80%.
