BICYCLE HELMET
RESEARCH
FOUNDATION

cyclehelmets.org


Home page

Main topics
News Headlines

Frequently asked Questions
For Policy Makers

Research evidence
Misleading claims
Helmet laws
Analysis

Search Engine

Australia
Canada
New Zealand
UK
USA
Other countries

Full index
Links


BHRF
Policy statement


Since 2020-08-29 this website is an archive, to preserve links. Not much has been added since about 2016.

Other sites which are currently active include http://www.cycle-helmets.com/ and https://www.freestylecyclists.org/ both Australian based but with some international content.

Cutting through the controversy about helmet effectiveness
Analysis by Piet de Jong shifts the focus of the helmet debate onto the arguments about the degree to which the large health benefits of cycling outweigh the far smaller risks involved. de Jong uses mathematical modelling to show that even under the most optimistic predictions of helmet benefit, the net public health outcome of helmet promotion (or laws) is negative.

Bias in older research, no net benefit from helmets in later studies
Rune Elvik, from the Norwegian Institute of Transport Economics, has used the latest methodologies to identify bias and conflict of interest in older helmet research that has greatly exaggerated the benefits. Analysing more recent studies, any benefit vanishes entirely.

Alberta law halves children's cycling but more than doubles the risk of injury
Published data from across Alberta shows how the province's child helmet law has reduced child cycling by around 56% while at the same time the absolute number of injuries has gone up.

Why are Dutch cyclists more likely to be injured if they wear helmets?
The Netherlands is the safest country in the world in which to cycle and very few people wear helmets. However, when cyclists go to hospital, they are much more likely to be helmeted. Why?

Alcohol: obscuring the outcomes of helmet research?
Could many of the predicted benefits of cycle helmets be more accurately attributed to staying sober, as links between drinking and serious injury become clearer? It just so happens that most drunk cyclists don't wear helmets.

Bike hire schemes revisited
An update on bike rental, with and without helmets

The health benefits of cycling More information added on health benefits versus risks, citing latest research. Also our commentary on Health on the Move 2, a landmark report on transport and health that strongly promotes cycling as a low-risk activity that could do much to enhance public health.

What is the relative risk of head injury when cycling compared with other everyday activities?

UK law would lead to 253 more deaths according to assessment using WHO HEAT tool, while Government research finds no reliable evidence of helmet benefit.

Recent additions and changes to cyclehelmets.org


A Tale of Two Cities

Bike hire in Melbourne and Dublin compared


Cycle helmets overview
If you're new to the site, read this first
last revised June 2012

Risk and cycling
Is cycling risky? How does it compare with other activities? How common is head injury? Safety in Numbers.

Contradictory evidence about cycle helmets 
Ambitious claims are made for cycle helmets, but how do they perform in the real world?
Papers for and against helmet effectiveness.

"A helmet saved my life!"
A common claim by helmet wearers, but is the truth so simple?

FAQ
Do helmets save lives? Is cycling without a helmet foolhardy? ... many more

Helmet laws
Are laws justified? What have they achieved?

Briefings
For legislators
Why helmets don't prevent 85% of head injuries
... more

Did this helmet save a life?

Read here


Health
The health benefits of cycling.
Exceptional life expectancy of cyclists.

Opinion
What are the judgements of experts and the courts?
The BMJ helmet debate

Technical
How helmets work and their limitations