Cycle helmets Deter people from cycling

BMJ 1994;309:541-542 (20 August)

Letters

Cycle helmets Deter people from cycling

EDITOR, - Leonard Evans refers to a rise in the rate of motorcycledeaths after repeal of motorcycle helmet legislation in abouthalf of the United States.¹ However, the rise in deaths perregistered motorcycle was actually greater in the states thatcontinued to enforce the use of motorcycle helmets. These andother data strongly indicate the futility of helmet legislation.²

Two scientific problems make it difficult to describe the effectof helmets on injuries to pedal cyclists. Firstly, people whovoluntarily wear helmets tend to be different from those whodo not; this confounds published studies of voluntary wearingso badly that the results cannot support arguments for helmetuse. Secondly, modern road use intrinsically involves balancingrisks, and people in pursuit of a goal have a strong tendencyto compensate for one lowered risk by increasing exposure toother risks.² Indeed, W Robert Pitt and colleagues' graph suggests. . . [Full text of this article]