Question For Louisiana Bikers: You Wouldn’t Ride a Bicycle Without Shoes, Would You?

If you are concerned about your feet, what about your head?

Fact: Bicycle helmets reduce the risk of head injury by 85 percent and the risk of brain injury by 88 percent.

Fact: Despite the fact that nearly 70 percent of all fatal bicycle crashes involve head injuries, only 20 to 25 percent of all cyclists wear a helmet.

Fact: In 2009, 630 bicyclists were killed and some 40,000 were injured in traffic accidents.

In Louisiana, the law requires children aged less than 12 to wear a helmet, whether they are riding a bike or as a passenger. Adults are supposed to think for themselves and make a smart decision.

Some adults still scratch their heads about using a helmet. Do helmets really work? All the evidence says yes.

A more serious question is to find out whether a mandatory helmet law is counterproductive. A study in Australia has shown that, when mandatory bicycle helmet laws are enacted, the number of bicyclists drops. The study is however not clear on how long the decline in bicycle use will last.

Some people argue that in the Netherlands, home to one of the highest bicycle usage rates in the world, cyclists usually do not wear helmets, not even children. This is true, but the reason the Dutch can afford to do this is that the sheer number of cyclists on the road, and their unique separate biking infrastructure makes the protection from motor vehicles highly effective.

The study concludes that mandatory helmet laws focused on children are the best way to go, while adults need to decide for themselves whether they fear brain injury at least as much as they are scared of hurting their tender feet.

The New Orleans traffic accident attorneys of the Young Firm take your safety seriously. If you have been hurt in an accident caused by someone else, contact us for a FREE discussion of your case.