Page 32 - SAM September 2019

USING HELMETS

USING HELMETS

to Limit Motorcycle Accident

Fatalities from Head Trauma

By Ammar Navid Saigal, MPH

The difference between life and death peatedly been shown to prevent injury and The study concludes that injuries related
for a motorcyclist can be as simple as death in lieu of rising contrary attitudes of to motorcycle collisions increased morbid-
wearing or not wearing a helmet. The motorcyclists. ity, mortality, and medical costs. It estimates
Eastern Association for the Surgery of The link between use of safety helmets that a “uniform helmet law” could save ten
Trauma writes in its article Helmet Efficacy among motorcyclists and the reduction of lives each year and save the state $5.1 mil-
to Reduce Head Injury and Mortality in Motor- deaths due to head trauma in the event of lion annually. They describe their data as
cycle Crashes that more than half of motor- a motorcycle collision has been established “crucial in advocating re-enactment of mo-
cycle accident- related deaths are due to and corroborated by numerous epidemio- torcycle helmet laws.”
head injury. These deaths can be prevented logic studies. During an investigation enti- One particularly alarming investigation
to a significant degree by wearing a safety tled: A Population-Based Study of Motor- followed the repeal of legislation enforcing
helmet that will lessen the direct physical cycle Injury and Costs, the following was the use of helmets among motorcyclists in
impact to the cranium and brain of a rider revealed as consequential to being in- the state of Michigan and examined the
involved in a collision. volved in a motorcycle accident: corresponding effects for riders within that
The necessity of motorcycle safety pro- state. Entitled Motorcycle Crash Helmet
tocol has long been recognized. Legislative • The highest rates of death Use and Injuries Following Repeal of
action intended to curb the number of occurred among men aged 20 Michigan's Motorcycle Helmet Law, this
deaths resulting from motorcycle accidents to 24 years (Connecticut, 1992). study examined the effects of repealing
in general has been effective in reducing Michigan's law requiring the use of safety
the number of deaths and the correspon- • Total costs to society exceeded helmets. Data on helmet use and injuries
ding financial costs to society (such as $29 million. both before and after the repeal were com-
medical bills from trauma as well as dam- pared. It was concluded that “Helmet use
age incurred by other parties involved in • Not wearing a helmet increased among crash-involved riders decreased sig-
the collision). In fact, such action has re- the chance of dying 3.4 fold. nificantly after the repeal (74% vs. 98%)

32 San Antonio Medicine • September 2019