Test study Bicycle helmets save lives

Study confirms: Bicycle helmets can save lives

12/10/2014

In Germany, only every seventh cyclist wears a helmet. Once again, science has discovered that cycle helmets greatly reduce the risk of deadly head injuries. A helmet requirement for cyclists in Germany does not exist so far.

Only one in seven wears a helmet
Of the cyclists in Germany, only one in seven wears a helmet. Now science has reiterated that bicycle helmets dramatically reduce the risk of deadly head injuries. This reports the news magazine „Focus“ citing a study by the Institute of Legal Medicine Munich. The result could rekindle the discussion about mandatory helmets in Germany.

Death by craniocerebral trauma
As it is called in a dpa message, the experts on behalf of accident research of insurers (UDV) had analyzed 543 bicycle accidents in Munich and Münster and the „Getötetendatenbank“ evaluated the Ludwig-Maximilians-University of Munich. Only six of the 117 deadly cyclists wore a helmet. Over half of the victims died of traumatic brain injury. The leader of the UDV, Siegfried Brockmann, said to the „Focus“: „With a helmet, most cyclists would have survived.“

Even better protected against non-fatal accidents
It also showed that helmet wearers are better protected even in non-fatal accidents. For example, all cyclists who were severely injured on the head were without a helmet, whereas helmet wearers suffered only mild to moderate head injuries. On Friday, the Federal Ministry of Transport had announced to promote more for the helmets. However, there are currently no plans for a legal helmets. According to the Federal Highway Research Institute, 15 percent of cyclists last year wore a helmet, with 17- to 30-year-olds in particular being seen as a helmet muffle.

Cyclists against helmet obligation
For some time now, the General German Bicycle Club (ADFC) has been fighting against such a rule. One of the main reasons for this is that it will reduce the overall use of bicycles. However, cyclists are generally recommended by many experts to wear a helmet. Care should be taken to ensure good quality in terms of accident prevention and ventilation. But even a bad helmet is still better than no helmet like that „Stiftung Warentest“ on the occasion of an investigation of bicycle helmets in the previous year. (Ad)