BMJ 2001;322:1063 ( 28 April )

Letters

Bicycle helmets

    Risk taking is influenced by people's perception of safety and danger
    Debate is counterproductive
    Using helmets alone will not prevent serious bicycle injuries
    Subsequences and consequences need to be distinguished
    Mountain biking is particularly dangerous

Risk taking is influenced by people's perception of safety and danger

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

EDITOR---Rivara et al in their editorial on bicycle helmets offer the study by Cook and Sheikh in the same issue as representative of evidence that has persuaded them of the benefits of wearing helmets. 1 2 The first calculation presented by Cook and Sheikh does not inspire confidence in the rigour of their study---35 056 cycling injuries are 0.28%, not 2.8%, of 12.6m hospital emergency admissions. They say that the 24.2% decrease in numbers of head injuries that they report from 1991 to 1995 is attributable to the increase in helmet wearing but present no evidence either of the magnitude of this increase or of any change in mileage cycled.

The official record shows that the number of cyclists killed and seriously injured per 100m km cycled increased by 8.6% whereas the figure for all drivers and riders decreased by 16.7% (for fatalities the figures are 0 and -20% respectively). These statistics indicate . . . [Full text of this article]
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This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Pless, I. B., Magdalinos, H., Hagel, B. (2006). Risk-Compensation Behavior in Children: Myth or Reality?. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med 160: 610-614 [Abstract] [Full text]  
  • Kendrick, D, Royal, S (2004). Cycle helmet ownership and use; a cluster randomised controlled trial in primary school children in deprived areas. Arch. Dis. Child. 89: 330-335 [Abstract] [Full text]  
  • Kendrick, D, Royal, S (2003). Inequalities in cycle helmet use: cross sectional survey in schools in deprived areas of Nottingham. Arch. Dis. Child. 88: 876-880 [Abstract] [Full text]  
  • Thompson, D C, Thompson, R S, Rivara, F P, Adams, J, Hillman, M (2002). Risk compensation theory should be subject to systematic reviews of the scientific evidence * The risk compensation theory and bicycle helmets. Inj. Prev. 8: e1-1 [Full text]  
  • Cook, A., Sheikh, A. (2001). Cycle injury trends: helmets are most likely explanation. BMJ 322: 1427-1427 [Full text]  
  • Thompson, D C, Thompson, R S, Rivara, F P (2001). Risk compensation theory should be subject to systematic reviews of the scientific evidence. Inj. Prev. 7: 86-88 [Full text]  

Rapid Responses:

Read all Rapid Responses

Cycling in Circles
Robert S Thompson
bmj.com, 3 May 2001 [Full text]
BICYCLE HELMETS - Author's reply
Adrian Cook, et al.
bmj.com, 4 May 2001 [Full text]
The big picture
M Wardlaw
bmj.com, 7 May 2001 [Full text]
Bike helmets and Lamppost Epidemiology
Elihu D Richter
bmj.com, 13 May 2001 [Full text]
Response to Peter Jacobsen
Diane C Thompson
bmj.com, 16 May 2001 [Full text]
Re: Cycling in Circles--New Cochrane-Injuries Group website
Diane C Thompson
bmj.com, 24 May 2001 [Full text]
A better look at Cycle Helmets
Laurence Howman
bmj.com, 27 Nov 2004 [Full text]
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