Citation

Hoffman GR. J. Traffic Med. 1977; 5(2): 36-37.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1977, International Association for Accident and Traffic Medicine)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

In 1976, the helmet was made mandatory in Belgium for motorcycle riders with machines under 50cc. This case study is based on 284 road casualties with such vehicles: 97 were wearing a protective helmet and 187 were riding without helmet. Our method of categorizing and classifying injuries is drawn from the Abbreviated Injury Scale of J.D. States and D.F. Huelke. There were fewer minor and moderate injuries in cases where the helmet was worn. When riders of light motorcycles were not wearing a helmet, 17% had serious injuries, but they survived with either moderate or even total work incapacity. The serious injuries and sequelae in the case of three drivers wearing a helmet (3.9%) were due to cervical cord lesions. Eighteen patients not wearing a helmet (9.6%) were killed following very serious injuries to the central nervous system; 17.8% survived with moderate sequelae or complete work incapacity. By contrast with these data, we note that riders wearing a helmet suffered serious injuries to the central nervous system in only 3.9% of the cases, and we have to note only 1% of fatalities in this group.