The Helmet Update
Volume 20, #1 - March 29, 2002
All issues index
Study Shows Helmet Laws Cut Deaths 15%
We have just posted
a new study by Darren Grant and
Stephen Rutner concluding that bike helmet laws reduce fatalities by 15%.
Here is the abstract concluding that a helmet law reduces fatalities by about 15%.
DOT Has a New Helmet Video
The US Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration,
has released a new helmet video for elementary to middle school kids. The video is titled Ride Smart. We think it is the
best free video anyone has produced for 8 to 12 year olds. There is considerable preaching, but at least kids do it. The
video features damaged helmets, an egg drop, a jello brain smash, good stuff on fit, and brief rules of the road. With
credits and all it runs about 9 minutes. Free from DOT. Eventually you can get it from their normal distribution channel,
but in the meantime send an email to NHTSA's Marietta Bowen:
marietta.bowen@nhtsa.dot.gov
or call her at 202-366-4969. The price is right!
Bike League Supporting
National Strategies Campaign
The League of American Bicyclists is supporting the National Strategies for Advancing
Bicycle Safety by making it a theme for a major new conference for bicycle educators. The Strategies campaign is a
comprehensive effort to address everything that makes cycling dangerous--hopefully reducing the field testing of helmets!
The conference will take place in June, and will contribute substantially to the launch of the Strategies campaign. There
is more conference info on
the League's website
and more on the Strategies (BHSI participates) on
CDC's site.
The Helmet Update - Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute
Randy Swart, Editor
4611 Seventh Street South
Arlington, VA 22204-1419 USA
(703) 486-0100 (voice)
(703) 486-0576 (fax)
www.helmets.org