Arguments against helmet legislation are flawed

2006/03/23 by Brent Hagel, Alison Macpherson, Frederick P. Rivara +1 · 2 citations
Medicine · Engineering · Agricultural and Biological Sciences · #Injury Epidemiology and Prevention #Traffic and Road Safety #Agriculture and Farm Safety

paper · pdf · doi:10.1136/bmj.332.7543.725

openalex publication_date 2006/03/23 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/30

Abstract

from the road safety campaigns should be contrasted with the lack of obvious effect on head injuries from helmet laws. Yet helmet laws were far more expensive. All published cost-benefit analyses of injury rates before and after helmet laws show the cost of helmets exceeded any estimated savings in healthcare costs. 7 20 Contributors and sources: DLR cycles almost every day. She is interested in statistical modelling and the consequences of fitting incorrect or inappropriate models.

Citations

• Risk compensation theory and voluntary helmet use by cyclists in Spain
• Head injuries and bicycle helmet laws
• New Zealand bicycle helmet law—do the costs outweigh the benefits?
• Data in Context: Notes on Employment and Labor Force Data
• Safety in numbers: more walkers and bicyclists, safer walking and bicycling

Cited by

• The possible effect on frequency of cycling if mandatory bicycle helmet legislation was repealed in Sydney, Australia: a cross sectional survey
• Bicycle helmet [wikipedia]