Bike helmets are less effective than we think : previous research may have overestimated the protective effect of bicycle helmets, new analysis reveals.

Bicycle helmets reduce the risk of head injuries, but nowhere near as much as previous studies have shown. According to an Australian meta-study from 2001 of the efficacy of bicycle helmets, a helmet can reduce the risk of head injuries by 60 percent. However, a new re-analysis of this study suggests that cycling helmets do indeed reduce the risk, but far from as much as the previous studies showed. (Author/publisher)