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Universal helmet laws help protect young riders

NEWS IN BRIEF — Posted Dec. 6, 2010

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Motorcycle accidents are a significant cause of youth injuries, and universal helmet laws for all ages are the best way to ensure that riders under age 21 wear protective headgear, say two studies in the December issue of Pediatrics.

Researchers examined 2006 hospital discharge data from 38 states. One-third of 5,662 motorcycle crash patients age 12 to 20 had traumatic brain injuries. These patients were 10 times more likely than crash victims without brain injuries to die in the hospital, said the study (link).

The second study compared injuries in states with helmet laws, including 17 states with universal helmet laws and 18 requiring helmets for riders under 21 or age 18 (link).

Traumatic brain injuries and deaths were found to be more common in states with set age laws rather than universal helmet laws.

Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2010/12/06/prbf1206.htm.

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