The overall aim of this report is to examine the efficacy of bicycle helmets. The authors set the scene by considering the specific context of the cycling environment in Great Britain and combine this with international perspectives on four main themes. These are bicycle helmet standards, case control studies of the protection offered by helmets, evaluated intervention studies of bicycle helmet education and/or legislation, and barriers and facilitators of helmet use. The authors recognise that the effectiveness of helmets at the point of a crash, 'secondary' prevention, is one part of a wider debate on cycling safety. Helmets are only one part of improving bicycle safety. At the broader pre-event stage, bicycle safety is related to a range of government policies and other factors. Helmet promotion/legislation needs to be seen in the context of the climate of cycling. The authors address these wider questions in the Opinion pieces and Discussion sections of the report. The review comprises nine sections: (1) The epidemiology of bicycle injuries in Great Britain (2) Bicycle helmet standards (3) Observational studies (4) Evaluated intervention studies related to promotion of bicycle helmets (5) Bicycle helmet legislation: evaluated studies and detailed case studies (6) Barriers and facilitators of helmet use (7) Opinion pieces (8) Discussion and (9) Conclusions. In addition to this report, a technical annexe is also available with detailed tables of findings. (Author/publisher)
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