• In 2000, 687 bicyclists were killed in motor vehicle-related crashes, down 8% since 1999 and 32% since 1975.¹
• In 2000, 29% of bicyclists killed in traffic crashes were 16 years or younger.¹
• 500 individuals die as a result of bicycle-related head injuries every year.²
• 17,000 individuals are hospitalized with bicycle-related head injuries every year.²
• 153,000 individuals are treated in emergency departments with bicycle-related head injuries every year.³
• Bicycle-related head injuries account for 2/3 of all bicycle-related deaths and 1/3 of all non-fatal bicycle-related injuries.²

• Bicycle helmets have been shown to reduce the risk for head injury by as much as 85% and the risk for brain injury by as much as 88%.⁴
• It is estimated that 75% of bicycle-related fatalities among children could be prevented if all children on bicycles wore helmets.⁴
• Universal use of bicycle helmets by children aged 4 through 15 years old would prevent between 135 and 155 deaths, between 39,000 and 45,000 head injuries, and between 18,000 and 55,000 scalp and face injuries annually.⁴

• In 1998, 50% of bicyclists wore helmets. Helmet use has increased from 18% in 1991 to 50% in 1998. ⁴
• About 18 % of bicyclists wear helmets. Usage appears to be increasing. Just over half of current users began wearing a helmet during the past 3 years. Among frequent riders, helmet use appears to increase with age. Getting 50% of bicyclists to wear helmets is a national health goal for the year 2000.⁶

• Community education programs.
• School-based education programs.
• Laws requiring helmet use.
• Discount coupons for bicyclists to buy helmets
• Bicycle rodeos.
• Advocacy of helmet use by admired sports figures.
• "Tickets" for free merchandise given by police to unhelmeted riders if they buy a helmet.

• Perhaps the most important reason people do not wear helmets is a lack of appreciation for the risk for head injury while bicycling and the effectiveness of helmets in preventing such injuries. Many riders believe they need not worry about being injured if they are not riding in traffic.
• Among children, fear of peer derision is a key reason for not wanting to wear helmets.
• Other reasons for not wearing a helmet include high cost, unattractive appearance, and lack of ventilation.

• CDC develops and disseminates injury control recommendations on bicycle helmets.⁶
• CDC gives grants to state health departments to implement and evaluate programs that promote helmet use.
• CDC gives funds to special injury control centers to promote helmet use.
• CDC collaborates with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and other federal agencies to promote bicycle safety.
• CDC collaborates with SAFE KIDS and other private and voluntary agencies to promote helmet use and bicycle safety.
• CDC provides funds for research to improve helmet design.

To date, 20 states and 87 localities have enacted some form of bicycle helmet legislation, most of which covers only young riders.²

• One life would be saved every day.⁹
• One head injury would be prevented every 5 minutes.⁸

• Always wear a bicycle helmet everywhere you ride. A bicycle helmet is a necessity, not an accessory.
• Wear a bicycle helmet correctly. A bicycle helmet should fit comfortably and snugly, but not too tightly. It should sit on top of your head in a level position, and it should not rock forward and back or from side to side. Always keep the helmet straps buckled.
• Buy a bicycle helmet that meets or exceeds the safety standards developed by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), the Snell Memorial Foundation, or the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM).
• Learn the rules of the road and obey all traffic laws. Ride on the right side of the road, with the traffic not against it. Use appropriate hand signals. Respect traffic signals. Stop at all intersections marked and unmarked. Stop and look both ways before entering a street.
• Restrict children to riding on sidewalks and paths until they are 10 years old, able to show good riding skills, and able to observe the basic rules of the road.

1. Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). Facts 1996 Fatalities: Bicycles. Arlington (VA): IIHS, 2001.
2. The Problem. The National Bicycle Safety Network. www.cdc.gov/ncipc/bike/problem.htm
3 . Sosin DM, Sacks JJ, Webb KW. Pediatric head injuries and deaths from bicycling in the United States. Pediatrics 1996;98(5):868-70.
4 . U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC). Bicycle-related head injury or death. Washington (DC): CPSC, 1994.
5 . National Safe Kids Campaign (NSKC). Fact sheet on bicycle injury. Washington (DC): NSKC, 1997.
6 . Public Health Service (PHS). Health People 2000: Midcourse Review. Washington (DC): PHS, 1996:88-95.
7 . CDC. Injury Control Recommendations: Bicycle Helmets. MMWR 44(RR-1)1995.
8 . Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute (BHSI). Mandatory helmet laws: summary. Arlington (VA): BHSI, 2000.
9 . Sacks JJ, Holmgreen P, Smith S, Sosin D. Bicycle-associated head injuries and deaths in the United States from 1984-1988. JAMA 1991;266:3016-8.

This information provided courtesy of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control.