Head injury-associated deaths from motorcycle crashes: relationship to helmet-use laws

Article Abstract:

Motor vehicle accidents are a major cause of early death and disability in the United States. There was an annual average of 46,500 deaths resulting from motor vehicle accidents between 1979 and 1986 and 12 percent were due to motorcycle accidents. Motorcycle-related deaths resulted primarily from head injuries, and motorcycle safety helmets were shown to be effective in decreasing the incidence and severity of head injuries suffered in a motorcycle accident. The epidemiology and trends of death due to head injuries suffered in motorcycle accidents were examined between 1979 and 1986. In addition, the relation between such deaths and motorcycle helmet-use laws was assessed. Information was obtained from death certificate data from the National Center for Health Statistics. There were 15,194 deaths and an estimated 600,000 years of potential life lost before the age of 65 years due to head injuries suffered in motorcycle accidents between 1979 and 1985. The rate of death due to motorcycle-related head injuries decreased slightly between 1979 and 1986. The rates in states with partial or no motorcycle helmet-use laws were almost twice those of states with complete helmet-use laws. The rates of death due to motorcycle-related head injuries increased by 184 and 73 percent in two states that changed from complete to partial helmet-use laws, and decreased by 44 percent in a state which strengthened its laws from partial to complete enforcement. The rates of head injury-related death were lowest in states with complete motorcycle helmet-use laws. The use of motorcycle helmets decreases the severity of nonfatal head injuries and incidence of fatal head injuries. Hence, the adoption and enforcement of motorcycle helmet-use laws are strongly recommended. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Safety and security measures, Laws, regulations and rules, Motorcycles, Motorcyclists

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Head injury-associated deaths in the United States from 1979 to 1986

Article Abstract:

A study of head injury-associated deaths was made on the basis of death certificates for the entire US population. Motor vehicles accidents, firearms and falls accounted for 83 percent of all deaths related to head injury. The risk of death due to head injury was greatest during the period of life from age 15 years to the mid-thirties during which time it was largely associated with motor vehicles accidents, and then again in later life (over 65 years of age) when over 40 percent of these deaths occurred as a result of falls. Studies of the effect of sex on the number of head injury-associated deaths showed that men in all age groups were more at risk than women. There were no significant differences between Afro-Americans and caucasians. Although the rate of head injury-associated deaths has dropped, these data indicate that this rate reached a plateau during the early 1980s. These findings do not suggest decisive action, but they help to show the number, classes and relative age risks for head injuries. Motor vehicle accidents compose 57 percent of all head injury-associated deaths. Clearly, any improvement in road safety that makes a significant impact on crash injuries could have a profound impact on the rate and number of head injuries and deaths.

Analysis, Death, Crash injury research, Certification

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Bicycle-associated head injuries and deaths in the United States from 1984 through 1988: how many are preventable?

Article Abstract:

Bicycle safety helmets may prevent a large number of head injuries and deaths caused by bicycle accidents. A survey of death certificates and emergency room reports from 1984 to 1988 found that 2,985 or 62% of all bicycle-associated deaths were caused by head injuries. Collisions with automobiles caused 87.3% of these deaths. Emergency room reports listed 902,752 head injuries caused by bicycle accidents, accounting for 32% of all bicycle accident injuries. Children under 15 years of age accounted for 41% of the head-injury deaths and 76% of the non-fatal head injuries. One death per day and one head injury every four minutes may be prevented if cyclists wear safety helmets.

Health aspects, Injuries, Prevention, Cycling

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