Bicycle/Wheel Injuries Quick Facts
Deaths and Injuries
- In 2002, 130 children ages 14 and under died in bicycle-related crashes nationwide.
- In 2003, more nearly 285,000 children ages 14 and under were treated in hospital emergency rooms for bicycle-related injuries in the United States.
- Local emergency departments report an increase of 31% in bicycle related injuries from 2003-2005.
How Injuries Occur
- Brain injury is the leading cause of death by bicycle and the leading cause of disability for those that survive. A single rule – wear a helmet – can reduce the risk of head injury by as much as 85 percent.
- Collision with motor vehicles account for an estimated 90% of bicycle related deaths and 10% of all non-fatal bicycle-related injuries.
Who Is at Risk
- Children ages 14 and under are five times more likely to be injured in a bicycle-related crash than older riders.
- Males ages 10-14 have the highest death rate of all ages from bicycle-related head injury.
Health Care Costs and Savings
- Every dollar spent on a bike helmet saves society $30.
- If 85 percent of young cyclists wore their helmets for a year, the lifetime medical cost savings could total more than $134 to $174 million.
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