 |
|
Bike Helmet Legislation Reduces Head Injuries
Research at The Hospital for Sick Children and the University of Toronto has shown that mandatory bicycle helmet legislation reduces the number of bicycle-related head injuries in children. In Canada, five provinces (British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia) have adopted bicycle helmet legislation.
The study looked at data on the 9,650 Canadian children (five to 19 years of age) hospitalized for bicycle-related injuries from 1994 to 1998. The results indicate that the bicycle-related head injury rate declined significantly (45 percent reduction) in provinces where legislation had been adopted compared to provinces and territories that did not adopt legislation (27 percent reduction).
Bicycle helmet legislation had been shown to increase helmet use, but the effect on the rates of head injuries was unknown. This research shows that helmet legislation is an effective tool to prevent childhood bicycle-related head injuries.
The Hospital for Sick Children and Safe Kids Canada
Return to top of page
|
|
|
Safety Canada January 2003
Helmets: Attitudes and Actions
|
|
