Study Finds Motorcycle Helmets Decrease Likelihood of Spinal Cord Injuries
The importance of motorcycle helmets protecting riders from brain injuries has been long established. However, a new study shows that there may be an important additional benefit for motorcycle riders who wear helmets.
A study by Johns Hopkins finds that motorcycle helmets may also be useful in preventing spinal cord injuries. The study, which appears in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons, finds that riders wearing helmets are 22% less likely to suffer cervical spine injuries in motorcycle accidents than riders who do not wear helmets.
The study’s authors are using the findings to encourage motorcyclists to wear their helmets every time they ride and to encourage states without mandatory motorcycle helmet laws to reconsider passing such laws. Pennsylvania is one of the states that currently lacks a mandatory motorcycle helmet law.