Helmets Cut Bike Injuries By 80 Percent

Reassuring results from a study of bicycle injuries show that wearing a helmet, regardless of the type, can cut the risk of head injuries by about 80 percent.

A report in the Journal of the American Medical Society answered some questions that had remained following previous studies supporting the use of helmets. It hadn’t been shown that helmet standards for children under age 6 were as effective as those for adults, nor had these studies evaluated newer helmets of the “no-shell” or “thin-shell” type.

In the new study, led by Diane C. Thompson of the University of Washington, the researchers said that helmets for young children were just as protective as for older riders. And it appeared that the protection afforded by the helmets didn’t vary by type.

A companion study showed that helmets protect the upper and middle parts of the face but don’t prevent injury to the jaw and lower face.