Bicycle education programs and mandatory bicycle helmet legislation are effective at increasing helmet use and, therefore, reducing bicycle-related death and injury. Motor vehicles were involved in more than 200 of these deaths. In 1998, nearly 362,000 children ages 14 and under were treated in hospital emergency rooms for bicycle-related injuries. In 1998, children ages 14 and under accounted for approximately 28 percent of bicyclists injured in motor vehicle crashes. Collision with a motor vehicle increases the risk of death, severity of injury, and the probability of sustaining a head injury.
Younger children suffer a higher proportion of head injuries than older children.
Nearly 60 percent of all childhood bicycle-related deaths occur on minor roads. Injuries related to the use of bicycle-mounted child seats typically occur when the bicycle crashes or tips over and when the child falls out of the seat. Falls account for 80 percent of these injuries. WHO IS AT RISK Riding without a bicycle helmet significantly increases the risk of sustaining a head injury in the event of a crash. Non-helmeted riders are 14 times more likely to be involved in a fatal crash than helmeted riders.