Injuries: All Ages

Highlights of US statistics

Available from the US Department of Transportation. These numbers are from 2017 data except as noted.



2018 data 857 bicyclists died on US roads in 2018, an increase of 6.3 per cent and 2.1 percent of all traffic fatalities during the year. This is the highest number since 1990 when it was 855. (It was 1,003 back in 1975)



2017 data 53 Bicyclists 14 and under were killed in 2017.

Average age of a bicyclist killed on US roads was 47 (36 in 2002)

Males were 87% of those killed.

75% of fatal crashes were urban.

81.5% of the cyclists were hit by the front of the vehicle.

63% were on roadways not at intersections. 27% were at intersections. 10% were in other locations.

Fatalities were in daylight 48%, dark 47%, dusk 3%, dawn 2%.

Fatalities most often occurred between 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. regardless of season.

27% of the cyclists killed in 2017 had been drinking. (Blood alcohol over .01 g/dl) 37% of the crashes involved either driver or cyclist drinking.

2002 - 665

2003 - 629

2004 - 727

2005 - 786

2006 - 772

2007 - 701

2008 - 718

2009 - 628

2010 - 623

2011 - 682

2012 - 734

2013 - 749

2014 - 729

2015 - 829

2016 - 852

2017 - 783

2018 - 857



Statistics from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety



The IIHS is consistently the best source of bicycle fatality statistics on the web. Their picture of a "typical" bicyclist killed on our roads would be a sober male over 16 not wearing a helmet riding on a major road between intersections in an urban area on a summer evening when hit by a car.



IIHS Fatality Facts: Bicycles - 2018

The IIHS analysis was updated in December of 2019. They have tables, graphs and much more detail on their site. If the link above has changed, use this search and click on Bicycle Fatality Facts.

Bicyclist Deaths by Helmet Use

From earlier IIHS reporting

No Helmet Helmeted Unknown Total Year # % # % # % # % 1994 776 97 19 2 1 0 796 100 1995 783 95 34 4 11 1 828 100 1996 731 96 27 4 3 0 761 100 1997 785 97 23 3 3 0 811 100 1998 741 98 16 2 0 0 757 100 1999 698 93 42 6 10 1 750 100 2000 622 90 50 7 17 2 689 100 2001 616 84 60 8 53 7 729 100 2002 589 89 54 8 20 3 663 100 2003 535 85 58 9 33 5 626 100 2004 602 83 87 12 33 5 722 100 2005 676 86 77 10 31 4 784 100 2006 730 95 37 5 2 0 769 100 2007 646 92 50 7 4 0 699 100 2008 654 91 59 8 3 0 716 100 2009 573 91 52 8 3 0 628 100 2010 429 70 94 15 98 16 616 100 2011 450 66 100 15 130 19 680 100 2012 469 64 123 17 138 19 730 100 2013 464 62 127 17 156 21 747 100 2014 429 59 118 16 176 24 723 100 2015 442 53 142 17 244 29 828 100 2016 424 51 137 16 274 33 835 100





Statistics from New York City

Bicycle lanes and helmets may reduce the risk of death. Almost three-quarters of fatal crashes (74%) involved a head injury.



Nearly all bicyclists who died (97%) were not wearing a helmet.



Helmet use among those bicyclists with serious injuries was low (13%), but it was even lower among bicyclists killed (3%).



Only one fatal crash with a motor vehicle occurred when a bicyclist was in a marked bike lane.

Nearly all bicyclist deaths (92%) occurred as a result of crashes with motor vehicles. Large vehicles (trucks, buses) were involved in almost one-third (32%) of fatal crashes.



Most fatal crashes (89%) occurred at or near intersections.



Nearly all (94%) fatalities involved human error. All New Yorkers, whether pedestrians, bicyclists or motorists, can help prevent crashes by following traffic signs and signals and respecting other road users.

Men and some children face particular challenges. Most bicyclists who died were males (91%), and men aged 45 to 54 had the highest death rate (8.1 per million) of any age group.



Among children aged 5-14, boys had a much higher death rate than girls; Queens had the highest child bicyclist death rate of the five boroughs.





Statistics from Helmet use and bicycle-related trauma injury outcomes Scott et al Journal of Brain Injury.

Men were less likely than women to wear helmets (21 percent vs. 28 percent)

Men spent more time in hospital than women, and their injuries were more severe

Only 12 percent of injured cyclists under 17 were wearing a helmet.





Statistics from the American Journal of Surgery, 2016





Statistics from the American Association of Neurological Surgeons



Cycling: 85,389

Football: 46,948

Baseball and Softball: 38,394

Basketball: 34,692

Water Sports (Diving, Scuba Diving, Surfing, Swimming, Water Polo, Water Skiing, Water Tubing): 28,716

Powered Recreational Vehicles (ATVs, Dune Buggies, Go-Carts, Mini bikes, Off-road): 26,606

Soccer: 24,184

Skateboards/Scooters: 23,114

Fitness/Exercise/Health Club: 18,012

Winter Sports (Skiing, Sledding, Snowboarding, Snowmobiling): 16,948

Horseback Riding: 14,466

Gymnastics/Dance/Cheerleading: 10,223

Golf: 10,035

Hockey: 8,145

Other Ball Sports and Balls, Unspecified: 6,883

Trampolines: 5,919

Rugby/Lacrosse: 5,794

Roller and Inline Skating: 3,320 Ice Skating: 4,608



Cycling: 40,272

Football: 21,878

Baseball and Softball: 18,246

Basketball: 14,952

Skateboards/Scooters: 14,783

Water Sports: 12,843

Soccer: 8,392

Powered Recreational Vehicles: 6,818

Winter Sports: 6,750 Trampolines: 5,025





Statistics from the Wall Street Journal blog





Statistics from the Snell Memorial Foundation

In bicycle crashes, 2/3 of the dead and 1/8 of the injured suffered brain injuries.

85% of bicyclerelated head and brain injuries can be prevented by a helmet.

Every year the estimated number of bicycling head injuries requiring hospitalization exceeds the total of all the head injury cases related to baseball, football, skateboards, kick scooters, horseback riding, snowboarding, ice hockey, in-line skating and lacrosse.



Estimated indirect costs for injuries to unhelmeted cyclists are $2.3 billion yearly.



In bicycle crashes, 2/3 of the dead and 1/8 of the injured suffered brain injuries.



95% of bicyclists killed in 2006 reportedly were not wearing helmets.





Statistics from the Consumer Product Safety Commission





More Statistics from the Consumer Product Safety Commission"s

Consumer Product Safety Review - Spring, 2000

Baby Boomer Sports Injuries

Sports-related injuries among those ages 35 to 54 (Baby boomers) increased 33 per cent from 1991 to 1998.

The population in that age bracket increased from 65 to 79 million, explaining some of the increase.

In 1998, bicycling accounted for the largest number treated in hospital emergency rooms. Bike injuries were over 65,000, while basketball injuries in second place were under 50,000.

In 1998, a total of 290 boomers died in bicycle crashes, with 255 involving a car (88 per cent).

In 1998, no other sport killed as many boomers. Swimming was a distant second with 67 deaths, skiing third with 7 deaths.

In 1998, baby boomers on bicycles died from head injuries at nearly twice the rate of children on bikes. CPSC believes that the difference in death rates is due to more helmet use by children.

CPSC believes that 69 per cent of children wear bike helmets and only 43 per cent of boomers.

It is important for baby boomers to stay active and participate in sports.

The article is signed by George Rutherford, CPSC Directorate for Epidemiology





A note from the University of California at Berkeley Wellness Letter of Dec 97:





Stats from a manual detailing crash types











Statistics from the US Department of Transportation

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.



Data from NHTSA"s history on bicycle deaths and injuries, published in early 2006.

Pedal cyclist deaths 1994 to 2005

1994 802 1995 833 1996 765 1997 814 1998 760 1999 754 2000 693 2001 732 2002 665 2003 629 2004 727 2005 784









Statistics from a publication of the Centers for Disease Control.





Injury Mortality

National Summary of Injury Mortality Data

1986-1992

Data Source:

National Center for Health Statistics, Vital Statistics



Produced by

Office of Statistics, Programming, and Graphics

National Center for Injury Prevention and Control

4770 Buford Highway - K59

Atlanta, GA 30341

(Contact: Steve James 404-488-4656)



U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Public Health Service

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

February 1995





Introduction

The National Summary of Injury Mortality Data provides tabulations of the total numbers of deaths and the mortality rates per 100,000 population for major and other selected external causes of death from injury, by race, gender, and age groupings. There are two sets of tables. The first set presents national data on injury mortality for 1986 through 1992 and will allow the user to assess short-term trends in numbers of deaths and mortality rates. The second set of tables summarizes national and state data for 1992 on the eight major causes of Injury mortality. The state tables provide a means of comparing the relative magnitude of deaths from these major causes within and across states.

The numbers of deaths by external cause of injury (International Classification of Disease-9th Revision, E-Godes [1]) are from the annual mortality data tapes of the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. We used population data from the U.S. Bureau of the Census to calculate death rates for 1985 through 1990. Intercensal population estimates were used for 1985 through 1989 and decennial census population counts for 1990. For 1991 and 1992, we used Demo-Detail postcensal population estimates. (For information about the postcensal population estimates, contact Richard Irwin, Director, Demo-Detail, 2303 Apple Hill Road, Alexandria, VA 22308, Phone No. 703-780-9563.)

We computed age-adjusted rates by the direct method and standardized to the total U.S. population as enumerated in 1940. This method and the standard year of 1940 were used to be consistent with data reported by NCHS and with data being tracked for the year 2000 objectives of the U.S. Public Health Service (2). Our age-adjusted death rates may differ slightly from those of NCHS because we used 5-year age categories, as presented in our tables, for calculations and NCHS used 10-year age groups (3).

For the convenience of the user, we have provided mortality rates for each of the race-gender-age groupings In which one or more deaths occurred. (Note: They did, but we did not! See phone number below for more tables. - BHSI) However, because NCHS considers rates based on 20 or fewer deaths to be statistically unreliable, such rates should be regarded with caution. For further details on this and other statistical issues, please refer to the Advance Report of Final Mortality Statistics, 1992 (3). (To obtain a copy of this report, contact NCHS at 301-436-8500).



Pedal Cyclist Deaths and Rates per 100.000

For Years 1988-1992

All Races / Both genders



AGE 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 YRS No. Rate No. Rate No. Rate No. Rate No. Rate 0-4 18 .10 17 .09 18 .10 14 .07 10 .05 5-9 157 .88 129 .72 104 .58 106 .58 99 .54 10-14 186 1.13 180 1.07 149 .87 161 .91 151 .83 15-19 136 .73 114 .63 124 .69 80 .47 68 .40 20-24 86 .44 68 .35 65 .34 79 .41 48 .25 25-29 69 .32 69 .32 100 .47 60 .29 50 .25 30-34 58 .27 68 .31 63 .29 71 .32 59 .26 35-39 52 .27 44 .23 67 .34 74 .36 58 .27 40-44 33 .20 38 .22 45 .26 39 .21 42 .22 45-49 29 .22 23 .17 37 .27 49 .35 41 .27 50-54 19 .17 19 .17 23 .20 33 .28 26 .22 55-59 19 .18 21 .20 19 .18 26 .25 32 .31 60-64 16 .15 17 .16 26 .24 25 .24 19 .18 65-69 19 .19 12 .12 27 .27 28 .28 23 .23 70-74 22 .28 17 .22 17 .21 22 .27 16 .19 75-79 16 .27 19 .32 16 .26 19 .30 13 .20 80-84 5 .14 12 .31 9 .23 11 .27 14 .34 85+ 7 .24 3 .10 7 .23 3 .10 8 .25 UNK AGE 2 0 1 3 0 TOTAL* 949 .39 870 .35 917 .37 903 .36 777 .30 AgeAdj** .42 .38 .39 .38 .32

All Races / Males

AGE 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 YRS No. Rate No. Rate No. Rate No. Rate No. Rate 0-4 12 .13 12 .13 12 .13 11 .11 7 .07 5-9 128 1.41 105 1.14 81 .88 81 .87 83 .88 10-14 157 1.86 151 1.75 131 1.50 133 1.47 131 1.41 15-19 124 1.31 104 1.12 11 1.23 71 .81 61 .70 20-24 75 .75 61 .62 58 .60 64 .66 43 .44 25-29 60 .55 56 .52 85 .79 52 .50 48 .47 30-34 47 .44 60 .56 56 .52 65 .59 55 .50 35-39 46 .49 37 .38 58 .59 66 .65 49 .47 40-44 28 .35 30 .36 37 .43 31 .33 38 .41 45-49 24 .38 21 .32 30 .45 45 .65 35 .46 50-54 15 .28 18 .33 20 .36 33 .58 23 .39 55-59 13 .25 15 .30 18 .36 25 .50 30 .60 60-64 15 .30 16 .32 22 .44 23 .46 18 .37 65-69 18 .41 9 .20 24 .53 23 .51 20 .45 70-74 22 .66 16 .48 13 .38 21 .59 14 .38 75-79 13 .57 17 .72 13 .54 15 .60 12 .47 80-84 5 .39 11 .83 8 .59 10 .71 12 .82 85+ 7 .87 1 .12 6 .71 3 .34 8 .88 UNK AGE 2 0 1 3 0 T0TAL*811 .68 740 .62 786 .65 775 .63 687 .55 AGEADJ** .72 .65 .68 .65 .57

All Races / Females

AGE 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 YRS No. Rate No. Rate No.Rate No. Rate No. Rate 0-4 6 .07 5 .06 6 .07 3 .03 3 .03 5-9 29 .33 24 .27 23 .26 25 .28 16 .18 10-14 29 .36 29 .35 18 .22 28 .32 20 .23 15-19 12 .13 10 .11 11 .13 9 .11 7 .08 20-24 11 .11 7 .07 7 .07 15 .16 5 .05 25-29 9 .08 13 .12 15 .14 8 .08 2 .02 30-34 11 .10 8 .07 7 .06 6 .05 4 .04 35-39 6 .06 7 .07 9 .09 8 .08 9 .08 40-44 5 .06 8 .09 8 .09 8 .08 4 .04 45-49 5 .08 2 .03 7 .10 4 .06 6 .08 50-54 4 .07 1 .02 3 .05 0 .00 3 .05 55-59 6 .11 6 .11 1 .02 1 .02 2 .04 60-64 1 .02 1 .02 4 .07 2 .04 1 .02 65-69 1 .02 3 .05 3 .05 5 .09 3 .05 70-74 0 .00 1 .02 4 .09 1 .02 2 .04 75-79 3 .08 2 .05 3 .08 4 .11 1 .03 80-84 0 .00 1 .04 1 .04 1 .04 2 .07 85+ 0 .00 2 .09 1 .05 0 .00 0 .00 UNK AGE 0 0 0 0 0 TOTAL*138 .11 130 .10 131 .10 128 .10 90 .07 AGEADJ** .13 .11 .11 .11 .08

*Total number and crude rate include unknown age. **Age-adjusted rate excludes unknown age. Standard population is 1940 U.S. all races/both genders. Data Sources, National Center for Health Statistics Mortality Data Tapes for number of deaths; U.S. Bureau of Census population estimates; intercensal data are used for 1984-1989 and decennial census data are used for 1990. Demo-Detail postcensal population estimates are used for 1991-92.











Query DOT's FARS Database







Statistics from the Centers for Disease Control, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control

Bicycle Helmet Usage and Head Injury Prevention











Statistics from a Johns Hopkins U. study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association in February, 2001:



Bicyclists and Alcohol

One drink increases a bicyclist"s probability of serious injury or death by a factor of six.

Four or five drinks increases the probability by a factor of 20.

One third of bicycle fatalities have elevated blood alcohol levels.











Statistics from the July 8, 1995, Capital Times of Madison, Wisconsin



Madison Streets may be Safer

86 percent of bike accidents involved an automobile or truck. Only 11 percent involved a bike only and 3 percent a bike and pedestrian.

The most common reason for an accident? Motorists failing to yield the right of way to a bike caused 42 percent of accidents. Another 39 percent occurred because cars were making a turn and did not notice a bike.

Car drivers were issued traffic citations in 18 percent of accidents. Bike riders were issued tickets in just 2 percent,

Bikes running stop signs or traffic signals resulted in just 1.7 percent of injury accidents. (This is a favorite statistic of mine because motorists continually complain about bikes running through stop signs. Drivers should realize that it"s easier for bikes to check traffic while they are rolling through a stop sign than come to a complete stop. This rolling stop practice actually helps keep traffic moving.)

Weather may be a factor. The pavement was wet in 12 percent of bike crashes.

Booze is sometimes a factor. Bicyclists were noted as drinking in 7 percent of car-bike crashes. Only 3 percent of drivers had been drinking.

Helmets may be reducing the number of deaths. There has been only one bicycling fatality on Madison streets since 1989. That death came last year when a 31-year-old man crashed at the comer of Gilman and Butler streets. He was not wearing a helmet.









Statistics from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - November 2019 - Emergency Department Visits for Injuries Sustained During Sports and Recreational Activities by Patients Aged 5 to 24 Years

Football, at 14.1% of the visits

Basketball, at 12.5%

Pedal cycling, at 9.9%

Soccer, at 7.1%

Ice or roller skating or skateboarding, at 6.9%

Children

From January 2006 through December 2015, more than 2.2 million children age 5 to 17 years were treated in US hospital emergency departments (EDs) for bicycle-related injuries. This averages to 608 cases per day, or 25 every hour.

Most injuries (45.7%) involved children 10 top 14 years of age and boys (72%).

Helmet users were less likely to injure head or neck (OR: 0.52) and be hospitalized (OR: 0.71).

Motor vehicle involvement increased the odds of bicycle-related traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) (OR: 1.98) as well as injury-related hospitalizations (OR: 4.04).

The most common injury regions were upper extremities (36%), lower extremities (25%), face (15%), and head and neck (15%). The most common types of injury were bruises and scrapes (29%) and cuts (23%).

Overall, traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) represented 11% of total injuries and were most common among patients 10 to 14 years of age (44%). About 4% of patients were hospitalized.

2008 National Highway Traffic Safety Administration data is broken down by state on their website, and there is more detail available.

For 2008 child injuries, including state breakdowns, see this page on the NHTSA server.









Statistics from the Children"s Safety Network

In 2005, 44 percent of nonfatal bicycle injuries occurred in children and youth age 5 to 20.

In 2005, the rate per million of nonfatal bicycle injuries in children and youth age 5 to 20 was 462.17 compared to 153.3 overall.

In 2005, children and youth age 0 to 20 made up 23.4 percent of bicycle fatalities.

In 2005, the rate per million of bicycle fatalities in children and youth age 5 to 20 was 4.37 compared to 2.64 overall.

In 2005, children under 15 accounted for 53 percent of bicycle injuries treated in emergency departments.

From 1999 to 2002, the average annual cost of bicycle fatalities in children and youth age 0 to 19 was $1.03 billion.

From 1999 to 2002, the average annual cost of nonfatal bicycle injuries in children and youth age 0 to 19 was $3.6 billion.

Head injuries accounted for 62.6 percent of bicycle fatalities.

Collisions with motor vehicles accounted for 75.7 percent of bicycle fatalities.

61.7 percent of motor vehicle collision deaths were due to head injury.





Statistics from the US Consumer Product Safety Commission

And this from a CPSC Web page:

A. Bike accidents crash-land more kids in hospital emergency rooms than any other sport. In fact, kids ages 5 to 14 get hurt more often than bikers of any other age! Every day, about 1,000 kids end up in hospital emergency rooms with injuries from bikes - like broken bones or brain concussions. About one kid every day dies of these injuries. Others suffer lifetime problems, like limping or brain damage.









Statistics from a 2008 article in Clinical Pediatrics

Mehan TJ, Gardner R, Smith GA, McKenzie LB. Clin Pediatr 2008; ePub(ePub): ePub. DOI: 10.1177/0009922808324952

Describes the epidemiology of US bicycle-related injuries among children and adolescents 18 years and younger. Analyzes NEISS data for patients seen in emergency rooms 1990 to 2005 who were injured while operating a bicycle. During the study period an estimated 6,228,700 individuals 18 years and younger were treated for bicycle-related injuries. Children with head injuries were more than 3 (relative risk, 3.63) times as likely to require hospitalization and were almost 6 (relative risk, 5.77) times more likely to have their injuries result in death. The authors concluded that the large number of bicycle-related injuries indicates that prevention of these injuries should remain an important area of bicycle safety research and practice.









Statistics from Safe Kids International

Please check their Web page for their latest Fact Sheet on Bicycle Injury.

Injuries to Children

Deaths and Injuries In 2001, nearly 314,600 children ages 14 and under were treated in hospital emergency rooms for bicycle-related injuries. Nearly half (47 percent) of children ages 14 and under hospitalized for bicycle-related injuries are diagnosed with a traumatic brain injury.



In 2001, children ages 14 and under accounted for 36 percent of bicyclists injured in motor vehicle crashes. It is estimated that collisions with motor vehicles account for nearly 90 percent of all bicycle-related deaths and 10 percent of all nonfatal bicycle-related injuries



More than 40 percent of all bicycle-related deaths due to head injuries and approximately three-fourths of all bicycle-related head injuries occue among children ages 14 and under.



Children can be seriously hurt from colliding with handlebars during a fall, even in low speed bike crashes. One national study of seriously injured bicyclists found that handlebar impacts accounted for 22 percent of injuries among nonhead-injured children. Improper bicycle sizing may predispose a child to falling and expose more of his trunk to the handlebar.

When and Where Bicycle Deaths and Injuries Occur Children are more likely to die from motor vehicle-related bicycle crashes at nonintersection locations (74 percent), during the months of April through October (81 percent) and between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. (55 percent).



Nearly 60 percent of all childhood bicycle-related deaths occur on minor roads.The typical bicycle/motor vehicle crash occurs within 1 mile of the bicyclist"s home.



Children ages 4 and under are more likely to be injured in nonstreet locations around the home (e.g., driveway, garage, yard) than are children ages 5 to 14.



Children ages 14 and under are nearly four times more likely to be injured riding in non-daylight hours (e.g., at dawn, dusk or night) than during the daytime.



Among children ages 14 and under, more than 80 percent of bicycle-related fatalities are associated with the bicyclist"s behavior, including riding into a street without stopping, turning left or swerving into traffic that is coming from behind, running a stop sign, and riding against the flow of traffic.

Who is at Risk Riding without a bicycle helmet significantly increases the risk of sustaining a head injury in the event of a crash. Nonhelmeted riders are 14 times more likely to be involved in a fatal crash than helmeted riders.



Children ages 10 to 14 are at greater risk for traumatic brain injury from a bicycle-related crash compared with younger children, most likely because helmet use declines as children age. Helmet use is lowest (for all ages) among children ages 11 to 14 (11 percent).



Correct fit and proper positioning are essential to the effectiveness of bike helmets at reducing injury. One study found that children whose helmets fit poorly are at twice the risk of head injury in a crash compared with children whose helmet fit is excellentIn addition, children who wear their helmets tipped back on their heads have a 52 percent greater risk of head injury than those who wear their helmets centered on their heads.



Children ages 14 and under are five times more likely to be injured in a bicycle-related crash than older riders.



Males account for 82 percent of bicycle-related deaths and 70 percent of nonfatal injuries among children ages 14 and under.Children ages 10 to 14, especially males, have the highest death rate of all ages from bicycle-related head injury.

Bicycle Helmet Effectiveness Bicycle helmets have been shown to reduce the risk of head injury and the risk of brain injury. Bicycle helmets have also been shown to offer substantial protection to the forehead and midface.



It is estimated that 75 percent of bicycle-related fatalities among children could be prevented with a bicycle helmet.



Universal use of bicycle helmets by children ages 4 to 15 could prevent between 135 and 155 deaths, between 39,000 and 45,000 head injuries, and between 18,000 and 55,000 scalp and face injuries annually.



Child helmet ownership and use increases with the parent"s income and education level, yet decreases with the child"s age. Children are more likely to wear a bicycle helmet if riding with others (peers or adults) who are also wearing one.In a national survey of children ages 8 to 12, 53 percent reported that a parental rule for helmet use would persuade them to wear a helmet, and 49 percent would wear a helmet if a state or community law required it.

Bicycle Helmet Laws and Regulations Currently, 21 states, the District of Columbia and numerous localities have enacted some form of bicycle helmet legislation, most of which cover only young riders.At least five states now require children to wear a helmet while participating in other wheeled sports (e.g., for scooters, inline skates, skateboards).



Various studies have shown bicycle helmet legislation to be effective at increasing bicycle helmet use and reducing bicycle-related death and injury among children covered under the law.One example shows that in the five years following the passage of a state mandatory bicycle helmet law for children ages 13 and under, bicycle-related fatalities decreased by 60 percent. Police enforcement increases the effectiveness of these laws.



One recent study reported that the rate of bicycle helmet use by children ages 14 and under was 58 percent greater in a county with a fully comprehensive bike helmet law than in a similar county with a less comprehensive law.

Health Care Costs and Savings The total annual cost of traffic-related bicyclist death and injury among children ages 14 and under is more than $2.2 billion.



Every dollar spent on a bike helmet saves society $30 in direct medical costs and other costs to society.



If 85 percent of all child cyclists wore bicycle helmets in one year, the lifetime medical cost savings could total between $109 million and $142 million.



A review of hospital discharge data in Washington state found that treatment for nonfatal bicycle injuries among children ages 14 and under costs more than $113 million each year, an average of $218,000 per injured child.





Fatality Statistics for School Children

From the FARS Database, USDOT

School-aged Pedalcyclists killed between the hours of 6:00 AM to 8:59 AM and 2:00 PM to 4:59 PM

Alabama 0 Montana 0 Alaska 1 Nebraska 1 Arizona 3 Nevada 1 Arkansas 1 New Hampshire 0 California 5 New Jersey 0 Colorado 0 New Mexico 0 Connecticut 0 New York 1 Dist. of Col. 0 North Carolina 0 Florida 3 North Dakota 0 Georgia 2 Ohio 2 Hawaii 0 Oklahoma 0 Idaho 0 Oregon 1 Illinois 3 Pennsylvania 1 Indiana 0 Rhode Island 0 Iowa 0 South Carolina 2 Kansas 0 South Dakota 0 Kentucky 2 Tennessee 1 Louisiana 0 Texas 1 Maine 1 Utah 0 Maryland 2 Vermont 0 Massachusetts 0 Virginia 0 Michigan 5 Washington 3 Minnesota 0 West Virginia 1 Missouri 1 Wisconsin 0 Wyoming 0 Total: 44











Statistics from the City of Boston

Helmets In EMS incidents where helmet usage was recorded, cyclists wore helmets in less than 50% of incidents. Men wore helmets in 43% of incidents, women 60%. This is substantially lower than the citywide helmet usage rate of 72%, which includes variation by neighborhood.

The difference between helmet usage citywide versus in EMS incidents may imply that those who wear helmets are less likely to require EMS attention. Further, the varying helmet use by neighborhood may lead to disproportionate rates of EMS incidents by neighborhood.

Between 2010 and 2012, the Boston Police Department was not reliably recording helmet usage.

A majority of the cyclist crashes that resulted in injury involved motor vehicles.

Helmet Effectiveness





Statistics from the most recent study by Robert S. Thompson, MD, Frederick P. Rivara, MD, M.P.H., and Diane C. Thompson, MS











Statistics from a 2013 study from Australia: The effectiveness of helmets in bicycle collisions with motor vehicles: A case-control study.











Statistics from a study titled The Effect of Bicycle Helmet Legislation on Bicycling Fatalities by Darren Grant and Stephen M. Rutner.

Abstract:

"A number of states passed legislation in the 1990s requiring youths to wear helmets when riding bicycles. The effect of this legislation on bicycling fatalities is examined using data from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System. A panel analysis is used to account for unobservable, time-invariant factors that may correlate with the incidence of laws across states. A control-group methodology is used to control for time-varying unobservable factors that may correlate with the implementation of laws within states. Timing issues are also explored. A helmet law reduces fatalities by about 15% in the long run, less in the short run. There is no evidence of spillover effects (to adults) or substitution effects (youths choosing other methods of transportation) associated with implementation of a helmet law. Through 2000 existing helmet laws have saved 130 lives. If all states had adopted helmet laws in 1975, more than 1,500 lives would have been saved."













Stats from two Medical Journal Articles

This link is to the abstract of a second study by the same authors with somewhat different numbers for the effect of helmets in preventing head and facial injuries, last reviewed and updated in 1999. "Helmets provide a 63 to 88% reduction in the risk of head, brain and severe brain injury for all ages of bicyclists." BHSI"s parent organization, the Washington Area Bicyclist Association, has asked Federal agencies to correct their use of the often-cited 85% number in the first article.









Stats from the Journal of Injury Prevention

State level estimates of the incidence and economic burden of head injuries stemming from non-universal use of bicycle helmets, by J Schulman, J Sacks and G Provenzano

International





Stats from The 2015 European HOPE helmet study





Stats from SWOV of the Netherlands

Of the cyclists with serious injury who are admitted to hospital following a crash with motorized traffic, almost half (47%) are diagnosed with head/brain injury. After crashes not involving motorized traffic this is the diagnosis for just under one third (29%) of the cyclists.

Proportionally, head/brain injury occurs most frequently among children and young people. In crashes with motorized traffic more than 60% of the young seriously injured cyclists (0-17 years old) have sustained head/brain injury; in the case of crashes not involving motorized traffic, the percentages range from 33 to 56% for these age groups (compared with the 29% average).

Approximately three-quarters of all head/brain injury sustained by are the result of crashes not involving motorized traffic. For young children (0-5 years old) as many as nine out of ten head/brain cyclist-only crashes, i.e. crashes without another road user being involved, or crashes into an object.

The risk of head/brain injury in crashes not involving a motor vehicle is particularly high for children in the age groups 0-5 and 6-11 years old; for cyclists over 65 the risk increases rapidly as they get older.





Stats from The Korea Times reported in 2018





Stats from the Canadian Institute for Health Information





Statistics from Transport Canada

Most Canadian deaths were unhelmeted riders











Stats from an article published in Pediatrics 2002; 110(5):e60.











Statistics from the abstract of an article from JAMA, the Journal of the American Medical Association:



Bicycle Associated Head Injuries and Deaths in the United States From 1984 Through 1988: How Many Are Preventable?



Objective. -To estimate the potential benefits from more widespread bicycle safety helmet use.

Design.-Review of death certificates and emergency department injury data for 1984 through 1988. Categorization of deaths and injuries as related to bicycling and head injury. Using relative risks of 3.85 and 6.67 derived from a case-control study and varying helmet usage from 10 per cent to 100 per cent, population attributable risk was calculated to estimate preventable deaths and injuries.

Setting.-Entire United States.

Main Outcome Measures. -Numbers of US residents coded as dying from bicycle related head injuries, numbers of persons presenting to emergency departments for bicycle-related head injuries, and numbers of attributable bicycle related deaths and head injuries.

Main Results. - From 1984 through 1988, bicycling accounted for 2985 head injury deaths (62 per cent of all bicycling deaths) and 905,752 head injuries (32 per cent of persons with bicycling injuries treated at an emergency department). Forty-one percent of head injury deaths and 76 per cent of head injuries occurred among children less than 15 years of age. Universal use of helmets by all bicyclists could have prevented as many as 2500 deaths and 757,000 head injuries, i.e., one death every day and one head injury every 4 minutes.

Conclusions.-Effective community-based education programs and legislated approaches for increasing bicycle safety helmet usage have been developed and await only the resources and commitment to reduce these unnecessary deaths and injuries.

(JAMA, 1991;266:3016-3018)









Statistics from the Institute for Traffic Safety Analysis

Traffic Fatality Trends in the US, UK and Australia: A Comparative Analysis

The ITSA data has disappeared from the web for the moment.







Statistics from the UK Department of Transport

The Potential for Cycle Helmets to Prevent Injury:

A Review of the Evidence

TRL Report PPR 446 - Findings

Cycle helmets would be expected to be effective in a range of accident conditions, particularly:

the most common accidents that do not involve a collision with another vehicle, often simple falls or tumbles over the handlebars; and also

when the mechanism of injury involves another vehicle glancing the cyclist or tipping them over causing their head to strike the ground.

A specialist biomechanical assessment of over 100 police forensic cyclist fatality reports predicted that between 10 and 16% could have been prevented if they had worn an appropriate cycle helmet.

Of the on-road serious cyclist casualties admitted to hospital in England (HES database):

10% suffered injuries of a type and to a part of the head that a cycle helmet may have mitigated or prevented; and a further

20% suffered "open wounds to the head", some of which are likely to have been to a part of the head that a cycle helmet may have mitigated or prevented.

Cycle helmets would be expected to be particularly effective for children, because:

the European Standard (EN 1078) impact tests and requirements are the same for adult and child cycle helmets - both use a 1.5 m drop height test; and so

given that younger children are shorter than older children and adults, their head height would be within the drop height used in impact tests, so a greater proportion of single-vehicle accidents are likely to be covered by the Standard for children.

No evidence was found for an increased risk of rotational head injury with a helmet compared to without a helmet.

In the literature reviewed, there is a difference between hospital-based studies, which tend to show a significant protective effect from cycle helmets, and population studies, which tend to show a lower, or no, effect. Some of the reasons behind this were due to:

the lack of appropriateness of the control groups used; and

limitations in the available data, such as knowledge of helmet use and type of head injury.

another UK report has this table:

UK - Reported deaths per billion passenger kilometres -2007 data

Rate per billion passenger kilometres

Killed Killed or

seriously injured All Bus or Coach 0 9 142 Car 2 20 244 Pedestrian 363 821 1666 Pedal cycle 32 541 3814 Motorcycle 97 1116 3887











A translation of statistics from a publication of the French Consumer Safety Commission (Commission de la Securite des Consommateurs):



Helmets for Cyclists

Bicycle accidents occur two times out of three to children under 15.

They occur mostly to boys (71% of the injured; 80% if you include 15 to 25 year olds)

Accidents are associated with sports or leisure activities, close to home for the youngest group. Use of the bicycle for transportation is also responsible for a large number of accidents, and of those a large number of victims are over 65.

Falls represent 90 per cent of the causes of the accidents.

The head is hit in 38 per cent of the accidents. This figure rises to 55 per cent for infants of 1 to 5 years and 48 per cent for those of 5 to 10 years.

Contusions are the most important lesions in bicycle accidents (40 per cent of the cases). The rate of fractures is equally large among children of 10 to 15 years of age and those over 65.

The rate of hospitalization is high (18 per cent of the accidents). This figure rises to 30 per cent of the people from 45 to 64 years old and 40 per cent of those over 65.







Bicycle vs. Other Activities

Statistics from the US Consumer

Product Safety Commission

Consumer Product Safety Review

Spring, 2006

Sports Head Gear

Estimated Emergency Room-Treated

Head Injuries for Selected Sports

2004

Sport

Category Est. Number of Head Injuries Est. Number of

Hospitalized Head

Injuries* Bicycles 151,024 10,769 Baseball 63,234 1,346 Football 51,953 1,324 Skateboards 18,743 764 Kick Scooters 15,622 n/a Horseback riding 14,218 2,434 Snowboarding 8,540 n/a Ice hockey 5,944 n/a In-line skating 3,511 n/a Lacrosse 1,814 n/a Source: National Electronic Injury Surveillance System, CPSC n/a = Sample size too small to report estimate. Includes injuries suffered participating in the activity and/or patients wearing the apparel and equipment associated with the activity. Includes injuries to head, ears, mouth, eyes, and face. *Includes cases where patient was admitted, was held for observation, was treated and transferred to another hospital, was dead on arrival, or died in the ER. This chart also appeared in a March, 2006 press release on a CPSC Helmet Guide











Statistics from CPSC"s NEISS data Injury Estimates for the Top 25 Product Groupings

From the 2007 NEISS Data Highlights Total product-related injuries treated in hospital emergency rooms nationwide



Stairs, Ramps, Landings, Floors 2,324,938

Beds, Mattresses, Pillows 560,129

Bicycles & Accessories 515,871

Basketball 481,011

Chairs, Sofas, Sofa Beds 476,109

Football 455,193

Bathroom Structures & Fixtures 330,102

Non-glass Doors, Panels 321,665

Tables, not elsewhere classified 309,252

ATV"s, Mopeds, Minibikes, etc. 278,671

Baseball, Softball 277,702

Exercise, Exercise Equipment 264,921

Desks, Cabinets, Shelves, Racks 262,171

Cans, Other Containers 248,126

Clothing 245,129

Ladders, Stools 227,769

All Toys 224,827

Playground Equipment 219,625

Soccer 198,679

Swimming, Pools, Equipment 155,322

Glass Doors, Windows, Panels 155,269

Skateboards 143,682

Workshop Manual Tools 131,396

Carpets, Rugs 128,361

Other Misc. Furniture & Accessories 122,662







To construct your own custom query for NEISS data, visit this CPSC page and be prepared to spend some time mastering the intricacies of the database!







Statistics from the Dr Pietro Tonino of Loyola U. School of Medicine Based on data from CPSC Sports-related injuries presenting at US hospital emergency rooms.

Data for 2005. These would be the more serious injuries. There is no adjustment for exposure data to relate the number of hours spent by US residents in each of the activities.

Sport ER Visits Basketball 500,000 Bicycling 485,000 US Football 418,000 Soccer (Football) 175,000 Skateboarding 112,000 Trampolines 108,000 Horseback riding 73,000 Golf 47,000 Roller Skating 35,000 Wrestling 34,000 Tennis 19,000 Track & Field 17,000

Dr. Tonino"s study was reported in the Washington Post on June 19, 2006.





Every year the estimated number of bicycling head injuries requiring hospitalization exceeds the total of all the head injury cases related to baseball, football, skateboards, kick scooters, horseback riding, snowboarding, ice hockey, in-line skating and lacrosse.

Comprehensive Study of Sports Injuries in the US





Old Statistics from Failure Analysis Associates



Injuries Associated with Example Items in 1989

Product Number of Injuries Motor Vehicles 1,744,903 Stairs, Steps, Ramps and Landings 854,500 Bicycles and accessories 514,700 Beds 299,200 Household Chemicals & Cleaning Products 65,900 Doors (Not Glass) 46,200 Pens and Pencils 29,900 Money 28,700 First Aid Equipment 27,300 Toothpicks 5,500 Combs or Hairbrushes 3,700 Note: Emergency room treated injuries projected from Consumer Product Safety Commission data... (rest is obscured on their page).

And more estimates from the same source:

Estimate of Fatal Risk by Activity

Activity # Fatalities per 1,000,000 exposure hours ------------------------------------------------ Skydiving 128.71 General Aviation 15.58 On-road Motorcycling 8.80 Scuba Diving 1.98 Living (all causes of death) 1.53 Swimming 1.07 Snowmobiling .88 Passenger cars .47 Water skiing .28 Bicycling .26 Flying (scheduled domestic airlines) .15 Hunting .08 Cosmic Radiation from transcontinental flights .035 Home Living (active) .027 Traveling in a School Bus .022 Passenger Car Post-collision fire .017 Home Living, active & passive (sleeping) .014 Residential Fire .003

For more recent stats please see Dom Nozzi"s Listing of Comparative Risks.





E-bikes and Powered Scooters





Statistics from a study published in Injury Prevention by DiMaggio et al in 2019

Riders injured using E-bikes were more likely to suffer internal injuries (17.1%) and require hospital admission (OR=2.8)

Powered scooter injuries were nearly three times more likely to result in a diagnosis of concussion (3% of scooter injuries vs 0.5% of E-bike injuries).

E-bike-related injuries were also more than three times more likely to involve a collision with a pedestrian than either pedal bicycles (OR=3.3) or powered scooters (OR=3.3)

There was no evidence that powered scooters were more likely than bicycles to be involved in a collision with a pedestrian (OR=1.0).

Rates of pedal bicycle-related injuries have been decreasing, particularly among children, but reported E-bike injuries have been increasing dramatically particularly among older persons.

Helmet Usage





Statistics from the National Survey of Bicyclist and Pedestrian Attitudes and Behavior

A Gallup poll sponsored by the US Government to find out bicyclist and pedestrian behavior and attitudes. It took four years to publish. If the link above does not work, please use this one and then click on the Survey link under Pedestrians and Bicycles. (NHTSA often moves things, so you may have to back up and start at their home page.) We consider the findings on riding suspect because they are based on interviews rather than observational studies:

Half (50%) of bicyclists wear a helmet for at least some trips, with 35 percent using them for all or most trips.

Nine of 10 support helmet laws for children, while 62 percent support such laws for adults. (Here is an excerpt from the study with details.)

46% of those 16 and older have regular access to a bicycle, with access increasing with increases in household income.

43 percent ride a bicycle at least once in the summer months, making an estimated 2.484 billion trips during the summer of 2002.

Bicycling declines with age, with those under 20 most likely to bicycle and doing so more frequently, while the majority over 45 did not bicycle during the summer months.

The majority of bicycling trips were for recreation or for exercise, while just one in 5 trips were made to conduct errands (14%) or for commuting to work or school (5%).

About half of all trips (48%) were made on paved roads. An additional 13 percent were on shoulders of paved roads, and 5 percent on bike lanes on roads. One in 7 was made on sidewalks (14%) or bike trails/paths (13%).

Only half (50%) of bicyclists say bike paths are available in the area they ride, while 32 percent say bike lanes are available. However, over half of those who do not use available bicycle paths or lanes say they don"t use them because they are not convenient, available, or go where they need to go.

More than one in 10 bicyclists (13%) felt threatened for their personal safety on the most recent day they rode their bicycle in the past 30 days in the summer of 2002, with 88 percent of these feeling threatened by motorists.

One in 5 bicyclists rode in the dark or near-dark for at least part of their trip, with 63 percent of these saying they took actions to make themselves more visible to motorists.

About 4 percent of bicyclists or 2.04 million, were injured while riding in the past two years. About .5 million of these were hit by a motorist.

Half (50%) of bicyclists wear a helmet for at least some trips, with 35 percent using them for all or most trips.

Nine of 10 support helmet laws for children, while 62 percent support such laws for adults.

Nearly half (48%) of those 16 and older are satisfied with how their local community is designed for making bicycle riding safer. About as many (47%) would like to see changes including more bike lanes (38%) and bike paths (30%).



Note: BHSI does not endorse the optimistic findings of this next study! In addition, the total number of riders killed cited in point two has not been accurate for a decade, and current deaths each year are closer to 600. Statistics from the Consumer Product Safety Commission

Bicycle helmet usage has increased from 18 percent in 1991 to 50 percent in 1998

Bike-related crashes kill 900 people every year and send about 567,000 to hospital emergency rooms with injuries

Wearing a bike helmet can reduce the risk of head injury.

Today there are an estimated 80.6 million riders, 43 percent of whom never wear helmets and 7 percent of whom wear helmets less than half the time

Of bikers who now report wearing a helmet, 98 percent said they wore a helmet for safety reasons, 70 percent said they wore a helmet because a parent or spouse insisted on it and 44 percent said they did so because a law required it.

69 percent of children under 16 wear a helmet on a regular basis while riding a bike, according to parents.

38 percent of adult bike riders regularly wear their helmets.











Statistics from a publication of the U. S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.



Bicycle Use and Hazard Patterns in the United States



Note: We recommend caution in using these figures, since a number of people in the bicycle community questioned the validity of the survey techniques used for this study. - BHSI



The exposure survey found that only 11.8 million (18 percent) of the entire population of about 67 million bicyclists wear helmets all or most of the time. Another 6 percent, representing about 4 million riders, reported that they wear helmets sometimes, but less than half of the time.

The proportion of children under age 15 who wear helmets all or most of the time was about 15 percent. HF reports (in part IV) that the low usage rate for children may be partly related to peer pressure. Some studies show that children are not inclined to wear helmets if their social group disapproves of helmet use. However, helmet use in all age groups appears to be increasing. Just over half of the current users (53 percent) began wearing helmets in the last two years.



And here is Michael Ravnitzky"s article on how to get better statistics from CPSC.











Usage Data from Actual Observation of Cyclists in Portland





Usage Data from Actual Observation of Cyclists in Alaska











Usage Data from Actual Observation of Cyclists in Seattle











Usage Data from Actual Observation of Cyclists in Duval County, Florida

2000 Duval County Helmet Usage Rate:

Under 5 years old: 100%

5 to 10: 74.3%

11 to 13: 31.1%

14 to 17: 0%

18 to 30: 25.4%

Over 30: 30.2%

2001 Duval County Helmet Usage Rate:

Under 10 years old: 64.7%

11 to 13: 17.9%

14 to 29: 35.4%

Over 30: 26.6%

Observed usage rates in two cities in Broward County:

Ft. Lauderdale: 25%

Hollywood: 15%

Duval County Bicycle Fatality Rates

Per 100,000 riders

1995: 0.97

1996:0.69

1997:0.67

1998:0.41













Usage Data from Actual Observation of Cyclists in Hawai"i



Helmet Use in Hawai"i

Source: Hawai"i Dept of Transportation

1997: 26 per cent

1998: 36

1999: 19

2000: 22

2001: 25

2002: 20





BHSI note: we do not know why the variations are so large from year to year.









Usage Rate Statistics from The National Survey of Children"s Health



Statistics from the State of Utah





Statistics from Consumer Reports





Usage data from a Consumer Reports poll





Usage data from a CDC poll of high school students





Stats from a 2003 Swedish literature search











Stats from a 2009 article on Korean helmet use











Stats from an Aussie study of helmet use and injuries











San Francisco usage data

71 Percent of SF cyclists wear bike helmets.

Reported July 25, 2011 in a blog of the San Francisco Examiner.











Boston Statistics from Scott Osberg



I just got back from 3 weeks of counting bicycle helmets in Boston"s Back Bay. I replicated my 1996-97 observations and preliminary analyses indicate helmet use is holding steady at around 31-35 percent. Considering the huge medical and public health communities in Boston and the affluence of Back Bay where I collected the data, one would certainly expect helmet use among riders there to exceed any national average.











Stats from Bell Sports" Bell Mile Marker, December 2005:

Cost of Injuries





Economic Statistics from the Children"s Safety Network





BICYCLE HELMETS SAVE MEDICAL COSTS FOR CHILDREN

A. Costs Saved

Every $10 bike helmet generates $570 in benefits to society. (Although the retail cost of bicycle helmets typically range from $10 to $70, nonprofit organizations can buy them in bulk for as little as $7 and distribute them nearly at cost.)

These savings include $50 in medical costs, $140 in future earnings and other tangible resources, and $380 in quality of life costs.

For each child bicycle helmet law that is passed, it costs $11 per new user and generates $570 in benefits to society.

If 85 percent of all child cyclists wore helmets in 1 year, the lifetime medical cost savings would total $197 to $256 million.

It is very expensive to treat a child with a bike-related head injury. These medical costs may sometimes last the child"s lifetime. For example, in 1991, bicycle crashes to children ages 4 to 15 caused 52,000 nonfatal head injuries and 93,000 nonfatal face scalp injuries. Lifetime medical payments for these injuries will approach $394 million.

2,200 of the children who sustain these head injuries will suffer permanent disabilities that will affect their ability to work. Universal bicycle helmet use by children aged 4 to 15 would prevent 1,200 to 1,700 of these permanently disabling injuries.

Every bicycle helmet saves health insurers $57 and auto insurers $17.

These cost savings estimates may be conservative, as they ignore other significant benefits. For example: Parents will spend less time and money caring for injured children. Lawyers will file fewer lawsuits seeking compensation for child cyclists" injuries.



B. LIVES SAVED AND INJURIES PREVENTED

Universal bike helmet use by children aged 0 to 14 would prevent 212 to 294 deaths annually.

Universal bike helmet use by children aged 0 to 14 would prevent 382,000 to 529,000 bicycle-related injuries annually.

C. BICYCLE HELMET USE

Helmet use among children aged 14 and younger is approximately 15 percent nationwide.

Parents report that 85 percent of children who own bicycle helmets wear them. The usage rate does not vary by income.

These numbers are from Childhood Injury Costs & Prevention Facts

Children"s Safety Network Economics and Data Analysis Resource Center

(www.edarc.org) Phone: 301-755-2728 E-mail: sheppard@pire.org

Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation

11720 Beltsville Drive, Suite 900, Calverton, MD 20705 Rev: 10/05











Statistics from the Ohio Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics





Ohio Bike Helmet Safety Awareness Coalition Fact Sheet In 2010, the number of people injured by NOT wearing a bike helmet was 51,000--enough people to fill Nationwide Arena in Columbus 2 1/2 times.

Currently in Ohio, estimates indicate that just 10-20% of children wear bike helmets, yet more than 70 percent of children ages 5 to 14 ride a bicycle regularly.

75 percent of bike-related fatalities would be prevented with a helmet. Helmet use can reduce the risk of head injury and severe brain injury.

Apart from the automobile, bicycles are tied to more childhood injuries than any other consumer product, including trampolines, ladders and swimming pools.

Universal use of bicycle helmets by children ages 4 to 15 could prevent between 135 and 155 deaths, between 39,000 and 45,000 head injuries, and between 18,000 and 55,000 scalp and face injuries annually.

A $10 bike helmet saves healthcare system $41 per child.

If 85 percent of the children injured in the U.S. per year wore helmets, we could save up to $256 million in just one year.



Helmet Laws

Statistics from the Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute Mandatory Helmet Laws We know of 22 state laws (including the District of Columbia) requiring minors to wear helmets while bicycling, and more than 201 local ordinances, some of which cover all ages. Please check our page on mandatory helmet laws for more current info.



Statistics from a journal article Motorcycle Helmet Laws Depending on the particular measure that is employed, states with universal helmet laws have motorcyclist fatality rates that are on average 22-33% lower in comparison to the experience with no helmet law. Additionally, partial coverage helmet laws are associated with reductions in motorcyclist fatality rates of 7-10%, on average.







Market Guesses





There is no good public source of current helmet market data that we know of. If you are researching the helmet market and call us to ask about these numbers we will not have anything to add to what is on this page! That goes for the Usage Rate numbers above as well. When we find out anything new, it appears here within hours.







Statistics from various sources gathered

by the Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute

How Many Helmets are Sold Each Year? (This section was updated in 2020)

We have asked many manufacturers if they had a good estimate of how many helmets are sold in the US market each year. If they do have that info, they are not sharing it. So we are reduced to reporting rumor and speculation on this subject. The best guesses we have found are in the 12 to 15 million helmets per year range. For 2017 dollar amounts, see the Open PR estimate below. The bulk of those would be mass merchant sales, rather than the helmets sold in bike shops. The 4,800 bike shops in the US market were rumored to sell about 700,000 helmets in the May-June-July quarter of 2009. In the September 1, 2010 issue of Bicycle Retailer and Industry News, Easton-Bell"s Greg Shapleigh is quoted saying that they sold 11 million helmets in 2009 "across all brands and categories." That would include bike, hockey, football, snow and baseball helmets, but BRAIN reported that "the majority of those were for cycling." The article was not on BRAIN"s website when we last checked on September 3, 2010. But BRAIN published new numbers in its October 1, 2010 issue, attributed to the Leisure Trends Group. Based on a year that started in July 2009 and ran through June 2010, they estimated 1,661,036 helmets sold by bike shops totaling $88,573,775. From January 2010 to June 2010 they estimated a 6.64% decline in unit sales and a 3.00% decline in dollar value. The numbers included adult, child and helmet accessories. They did not estimate helmet sales by big box stores. Here is the article in Bicycle Retailer and Industry News where the numbers appeared. The National Bicycle Dealer"s Association may have more numbers, but you have to pay for their annual US Bicycle Market Report. It was $700 for non-members the last time we checked, and we could not publish the numbers here in any event. In addition to the US, our best rumors on the size of the global helmet market put the total at about 50 million helmets per year. Three very large Chinese OEM manufacturers who make helmets for other brands account for about half of that. But some of the numbers cited by US brands are included in that 25 million, since many US-branded helmets are made by Chinese OEM manufacturers. We do not have precise price trend information either. We noted a small price increase in advertised mass merchant sales prices in our area after 2000, ending in mid-2004 when Wal-Mart began marketing a helmet for $7.14, and others followed. In the May 1, 2002 issue of Bicycle Retailer and Industry News, reporter Matt Wiebe said that helmet sales in the US for 2001 totaled $150 million. He did not identify his source for that estimate, but in the next paragraph he did quote then Bell Sports President Bill Fry. The NBDA says helmet sales increased by 4% in dollars and 2% in volume in 2014, indicating a modest price rise. In 2020 a company called Market Study Report published Global Helmets Market Growth 2020-2025 with some actual teaser numbers in their web description: "According to this study, over the next five years the Helmets market will register a 2.6% CAGR in terms of revenue, the global market size will reach $ 5796.4 million by 2025, from $ 5240.6 million in 2019. We think CAGR is for Compound Annual Growth Rate. There is a full study description at the link. Bell Sports informed us that they manufactured more than four million bicycle helmets per year in the US in 2002-03 although they have some models made in Asia. They did not give us total sales. If you need very old market estimates for comparisons, back in 1990, Bell Helmets was good enough to share with us their market estimates for total industry sales of bicycle helmets for 1989-1990. We were grateful to have these numbers from Bell, since they were not available to us elsewhere, and still are not. Bell cautioned at the time that the usage rates, which they referred to in marketingspeak as Usage Penetration rates, were approximate.

Industry-wide helmet sales (millions) 1989 1990 US 2.0 2.5 World 2.5 to 3.0 3.5 to 4.0





Open PR 2017 statistics on World-wide helmet sales





Statistics from Leisure Trends:

Helmet sales (bike shops): 12 months ending July 2014





1.8 million units sold (+7.2%)

1.5 million adult/.3 million kids

$104 million value (+7%)

Average Retail Price $56.50

Top Brands: Specialized, Giro, Bontrager, Bell, Bern





Statistics promised by the National Bicycle Dealers Association:

A Look At Some Of The Bicycle Industry"s Vital Statistics

Million Bicycles Sold (* indicates projections) Year 20" wheels All wheel and above sizes 2005 14.0* 19.8* 2004 13.0* 18.3* 2003 12.9* 18.5* 2002 13.6* 19.5* 2001 11.3* 16.7* 2000 11.9* 20.9* 1999 11.6* 17.5* 1998 11.1* 15.8* 1997 11.0* 15.2* 1996 10.9 15.4 1995 12.0 16.1 1994 12.5 16.7 1993 13.0 16.8 1992 11.6 15.3 1991 11.6 1990 10.8 1989 10.7 1988 9.9 1987 12.6 1986 12.3 1985 11.4 1984 10.1 1983 9.0 1982 6.8 1981 8.9 1980 9.0 1979 10.8 1978 9.4 ... 1973 15.2 (record high year)

Bicycles and related products appeal primarily to a recreation market in the United States, though there is an influential and growing number of people using bicycles for transportation.

Bicycle usage is at an all-time high, with over 100 million U.S. bicycle owners, a figure which has grown substantially each year since 1983, according to the Bicycle Institute of America. Of that 100 million, 55 million were adults (age 16 and up), while 45 million were children. 31 million adults rode regularly, defined as at least once a week. There were about 4.9 million bicycle commuters, 250,000 bicycle racers, 25 million mountain bike/hybrid riders, 1.7 million bicycle tourers, and 3.8 million participants in recreational bicycle events.









How Many Cyclists are there in the US?







2017 Statistics from Bicycle Retailer and Industry News:





Older stats reported by Bicycle Retailer and Industry News June 1, 2009)

2000 43.1 million

2002 39.7

2004 40.3

2006 35.6

2008 44.7

(BHSI thinks bike riders are not very accurate when asked by pollsters about their riding.)

Below are some rare stats that a manufacturer actually published, but they date back to the mid-1990"s and the manufacturer is no longer in business.





Old Statistics from the Headstrong Group:



How Many Helmets are Sold Each Year?



From Headstrong Group (no longer in business--this is old stuff!)



Market Share of Some Major Manufacturers:

Manufacturer 1993 1994 % 1995 est. Bell Sports 3,000 4,000 40% 4,500 Cycle Products1,500 2,000 20 2,000 Headstrong 1,700 17 3,300 Troxel 1,500 1,000 10 1,000 Other 1,000 1,300 13 2,200 ----- ----- ----- Total 7,000 10,000 13,000











Statistics from the National Bicycle Dealer Association:



How do dealers regard helmet brands?



The NBDA once posted the results of a dealer survey rating helmet brands by consumer demand, availability, profitability, marketing support, etc. The Consumer Demand rankings were Giro, Bell, Pro-tec, Specialized, Trek, Louis Garneau and Vigor. The dealers ranked the product lines in order Giro, Specialized, Bell, Louis Garneau, Vigor, Trek. We can"t find it any more on the NBDA site, and did not note the year.











Other Pages to Check

Statistics you can buy



Statistics from the Bicycle Market Research Institute:

How Many Active American Cyclists are There?



(As reported in Bicycle Retailer and Industry News on April 15, 1995)



There are 58.7 million Americans who are active cyclists.

Thirty percent of them live in California, New York and Illinois.

California accounts for 14.5 percent of the nation"s riders and 18 percent of all its mountain bike riders.



These numbers are much lower than others often cited, including those from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. We do not have the definition of "active cyclist" to confirm how the total was reached. This data is contained in a study titled BIKETRAC Bicycling Participation and Usage Study. For more information on purchasing this study you can contact BMRI at (617) 277-5660.

Others

QYResearch Reports has another report you can purchase titled "Global Bicycle Helmet Market 2016: Research, Analysis, Growth, Trends and Market Synopsis."

MarketResearchReports.Biz has a report titled "Bicycle Accessories Market - Global Industry Trend Analysis 2013 to 2017 and Forecast 2018 - 2028." Again, we have not seen it and don"t know anything about it.

NPD Group has reports on cycling products including helmets. Their website says they have "offices in 30 cities across the Americas, Europe, and Asia-Pacific."

Journalist Observer has a 2019 report titled Global Youth Helmet Market 2019 for sale for an undisclosed price. It tracks the youth helmet market.

E-Market Research has this study based on stats through 2017 for $3500. It forecasts global market numbers through 2023. But the list of major players leaves out some Chinese manufacturers who together account for probably 4 to 5 million helmets per year.