What athletic activity results in the most traumatic brain injuries (TBIs)? Does football pop into your head first? Maybe soccer, or ice hockey? If we are looking at the number of hospital emergency room visits per year, as The American Association of Neurological Surgeons, then bicycling is the leading sports/recreational activity contributing to the highest number of estimated head injuries treated in ERs across the country. The report found cycling incidents resulted in 64,411 reported ER visits in 2018, while football injuries resulted in 51,892 in the same year. This makes sense when you think about how many adults and children ride bicycles versus play football and some other sports. It’s still a disturbingly large number of bicycling head injuries, however.
May is National Bike Month, which will be here in a just a few days. In honor of this, we’d like to share some important bike helmet safety information. We hope it helps you and your friends and family stay safer as you enjoy your time cycling.
Bicycling Head Injuries, Concussions and Helmets
More and more attention today is focused on protective headgear. With an increase in research and knowledge about bike helmet safety, many of us started regularly wearing helmets a few decades ago. And we make sure our kids and grandkids do the same. We do this to help reduce bicycling head injuries, such as concussions, which occur when falls or other injuries to the head cause the brain to shift in the skull. While bike helmets may not totally prevent concussions from occurring, MAC Alliance believes they offer added protection overall, may reduce the severity of a concussion and can help protect your brain from skull fractures.
How to Choose a New Helmet
The 2020 pandemic helped usher in a huge bicycling boom in the U.S. that does not seem to show signs of slowing down. With spring here in the northeast, we’re all pumping up bike tires, inspecting brakes and cables and finally again enjoying predictable jaunts on beautiful spring trails and scenic roads. But what about our bike helmets?
When shopping for a new helmet in person, be sure to try it on before purchasing to check for fit and comfort. The helmet should feel snug but not uncomfortable. According to the League of American Bicyclists, without the straps fastened:
- The front part of the helmet should be level
- The level helmet should sit two finger-widths above the eyebrows.
- There should be only a little bit of movement when you shake your head from side to side
With the straps fastened:
- The side straps should come to a point just below your ears
- The small tabs on the side of these straps should be moved up or down until they are a half an inch or less under your ear lobe
- The chin strap should be about half an inch below your chin when your mouth is closed
For more tips on choosing a helmet, and other cycling safety tips, check out what the League of American Bicyclists recommends.
Where to Find Helmet Ratings
Websites like Consumer Reports and Virginia Tech (in collaboration with the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety) provide lists of recommended helmets in terms of ease of use, fit, ventilation and impact absorption. Helmet ratings on the Virginia Tech site also test for a helmet’s ability to reduce linear acceleration and rotational velocity. Some of the newer helmets on the market specifically help reduce this rotational force. In fact, according to the most recent Bike Helmet Buying Guide from Consumer Reports, “Helmet wearing is associated with an almost 70% lower risk of serious head injury and a 50% reduced risk of any head injury in a crash.”
When Should I Replace My Helmet?
Research varies on exactly when you should replace a bike helmet, with some studies recommending as often as every three years and others only after up to eight years. The Cleveland Clinic reminds us to look for the Consumer Product Safety Committee (CPSC) sticker inside the helmet. All helmets manufactured after March 1999 are required to meet standards that provide a higher level of protection in the event of an impact. Labels like “ASTM,” “Snell” and “ANSI” refer to voluntary safety standards in place prior to 1999. This is too old for our liking if you are still using these helmets. And if you’ve fallen off your bike and hit your head, we suggest replacing the helmet. According to the CPSC, other helmet issues you should look for that might mean trading up for a new helmet include:
- Splits or cracks
- Faded shells (UV exposure may have impacted the helmet’s safety)
- Cracks or dents in the foam liner
- Worn areas on straps and buckles
Join the #RockYourHelmet Movement
Last fall, we launched a brain injury prevent and awareness campaign called #RockYourHelmet. We want to get the word out about the importance of wearing helmets, and we hope you join us! Whether you’re out for quick cycling loop around the block or participating in a team sport that involves helmet wearing, we’d love to see your pictures!
- Taking a selfie of you and your friends properly wearing your helmets
- Post the picture on social media: Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, SnapChat, Linkedin , etc.
- Please make sure you include the hashtag #RockYourHelmet so we can find you!
Cycling is a wonderful recreational activity, and we hope this information on helmets helps you enjoy it even more.
— Reporting by Faith R. Foyil
