Cycle helmets

BMJ 1999;319:1071 ( 16 October )

Letters

Cycle helmets

BMA report does not give the whole picture

Summary of electronic responses

BMA report does not give the whole picture

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

EDITOR $---$ The Child Accident Prevention Trust was interested to read the report of the BMA's Board of Education and Science onthe compulsory use of cycle helmets.¹ The trust agrees withthe board's recommendations, in that society is not yet readyto accept legislation in this area, and the other recommendationson the value of educational efforts to increase the use of cyclingin general and of helmetwearing.

However, we would have liked to see more evidence of the effectiveness of helmets in reducing deaths and brain injury, whichseems to be important in deciding to what extent helmets shouldbe worn. In the report this is given a somewhat cursory reviewof just over one page, whereas standards and their verification,and the purchase and care of helmets, receive eight pages. TheChild Accident Prevention Trust is the main organisation in Britianconcerned solely with the reduction . . . [Full text of this article]