Children & Bike Injuries
Bicycles are associated with more childhood injuries than any other consumer product except the automobile.
Source: Headed for Injury (Safe Kids Report)
In 2001, 134 children ages 14 and under died and nearly 314,600 were injured in bicycle crashes.
Source: Headed for Injury (Safe Kids Report)
More than 176,000 children ages 5 to 14 are treated each year in hospital emergency rooms for injuries related to skateboards, scooters and skates.
Source: Headed for Injury (Safe Kids Report)
Nearly 60 percent of all childhood bicycle-related deaths occur on minor roads. The typical bicycle/motor vehicle crash occurs within 1 mile of the bicyclist’s home.
Source: Helmet Related Statistics from Many Sources (Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute)
Children ages 14 and under are nearly four times more likely to be injured riding in non-daylight hours (e.g., at dawn, dusk or night) than during the daytime.
Source: Helmet Related Statistics from Many Sources (Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute)
Kids and Bikes
It is estimated that more than 70 percent of children ages 5 to 14 (27.7 million) ride bicycles.
Source: Headed for Injury (Safe Kids Report)
More than a third (35 percent) of child riders who wore helmets wore them improperly, with helmets tilted or straps unsecured.
Source: Headed for Injury (Safe Kids Report)
It is estimated that 75 percent of bicycle-related fatalities among children could be prevented with a bicycle helmet.
Source: Helmet Related Statistics from Many Sources (Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute)
Wheeled Sports and Head Injuries
Head injuries account for more than 60 percent of bicycle-related deaths, more than two-thirds of bicycle-related hospital admissions and about one-third of hospital emergency room visits for bicycling injuries.
Source: Headed for Injury (Safe Kids Report)
Head injury is the leading cause of wheeled sports-related death and the most important determinant of permanent disability after a crash.
Source: Headed for Injury (Safe Kids Report)
A fall of as little as two feet can result in a skull fracture or other traumatic brain injury.
Source: Headed for Injury (Safe Kids Report)
Helmet Effectiveness
When worn correctly and consistently, helmets are very effective at reducing the risk of head injury by as much as 85 percent and the risk of brain injury by as much as 88 percent.
Source: Headed for Injury (Safe Kids Report)
Bicycle helmets have been shown to reduce the risk of head injury by as much as 85 percent and the risk of brain injury by as much as 88 percent. Bicycle helmets have also been shown to offer substantial protection to the forehead and midrace.
Source: Helmet Related Statistics from Many Sources (Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute)
Helmet Laws
*22 states have state laws requiring youth to wear helmets. (Just four of the 22 states require youth the age 16 and 17 to wear a helmet.) *includes the District of Columbia
Source: Helmet Related Statistics from Many Sources (Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute)
A study in New Jersey found that, in the five years following the passage of the state-level mandatory bicycle helmet law for children ages 13 and under, bicycle-related fatalities decreased by 60 percent. Source: Headed for Injury (Safe Kids Report)
Health Costs and Helmets
According to research from the Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute, the total annual cost of traffic-related bicyclist death and injury among children ages 14 and under is more than $2.2 billion.
Source: Helmet Related Statistics from Many Sources (Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute)
Every dollar spent on a bike helmet saves society $30 in direct medical costs and other costs to society.
Source: Helmet Related Statistics from Many Sources (Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute)
If 85 percent of all child cyclists wore bicycle helmets in one year, the lifetime medical cost savings could total between $109 million and $142 million.
Source: Helmet Related Statistics from Many Sources (Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute)
A review of hospital discharge data in Washington state found that treatment for nonfatal bicycle injuries among children ages 14 and under costs more than $113 million each year, an average of $218,000 per injured child.
Source: Helmet Related Statistics from Many Sources (Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute)
