For over 100 years, bicycles have served as an effective means of transportation, exercise, and recreation. Presently, there are over 100 million bicyclists in the United States alone. Recently, increasing attention has been paid to the extent and severity of bicycle injuries. As a result, there has been a growing awareness of bicycle safety, including a concerted effort to reduce morbidity and mortality from bicycling accidents through bicycle education and bicycle-helmet usage. The following comprehensive review of the literature is an attempt to document the severity of the bicycle-related injury problem and the extent to which bicycle helmets and other preventive measures may afford protection from the morbidity and mortality commonly associated with bicycle accidents. (A)
Abstract