Wearing a Helmet Could Cause Less Cycling Brain Injuries

The number of cyclists on the roads in the UK continue to rise each year. Some do it as a means of exercise, some to escape the rising gas prices, and others for the love of it. As the number of cyclists on the roads increases, so does the number of accidents. Cycling accidents total in excess of 19,000 each year in the UK. These figures include, men, women, and children. They include fatalities and injuries that range from small-scale injuries that are not considered serious or life threatening to very serious injuries such loss of limbs or cycling brain injuries.  

Cycling brain injuries make up more than seventy-five percent of the injuries. These high numbers suggest that there are many benefits to have by instituting and reinforcing the need to wear helmets. Some groups and studies suggest that the number of head injuries sustained by cyclist in accidents have been decreasing due to the increasing number of cyclists who are now wearing helmets.

They suggest that helmets could be responsible for preventing at least sixty percent of cycling brain injuries. All the parties involved in the discussion and debate on the benefits versus the disadvantages of wearing helmets are not all agreed and so the debate in Parliament, and on the roads continue.

Regardless of your position on wearing of helmets there are certain benefits that most, if not all, can agree on. Helmets give your head added padding and protection from hard blows during a collision or fall. They serve as a shock absorber that absorbs the impact and thereby minimize the impact on the head and brain. In many cases, brain injuries received during cycling could have been avoided if the rider was wearing a helmet.

It has been suggested that injuries that occur as a result of jarring or the movement of the brain within the skull, such as subdural hematoma or diffused axonal brain injury, could be made worse or further complicated due to the wearing of the helmet. Those arguments have been soundly rejected, and dismissed.

Those opposed to the wearing of helmets argue that helmets can make other injuries worse, or possible in areas such as the neck or back. These points to countries who have less injuries and fatalities and do not use helmets as a course of law or habit. They suggest that the energies of Parliament and supporters for the wearing of helmets could best serve the interest of cyclists by fighting for better road conditions. Both sides can agree that there are some instances where a helmet would be considered useless. Collisions that involve larger vehicles and high impact collisions that result in multiple injuries or fatality is an example of this.

The bottom line is that there are benefits and disadvantages to wearing a helmet. It would seem that the pros far outweigh the cons. Until it becomes a course of law, it remains a matter for each individual cyclist to ponder. However, anything that can help to mitigate or prevent cycling brain injuries is worth considering. For further information, or to file a claim visit Priority Legal.

About the author: 

Mark Summers is a legal specialist who writes for Priority Legal.  You can find Mark here on Google plus, please add him to your circles