Citation

Murphy RK, McEvoy L, Kelleher MO, Bolger C, Phillips J. Br. J. Neurosurg. 2009; 23(2): 162-164.

Affiliation

Neurosurgical Research and Development Unit, Beaumont Hospital, Dublin 9, Ireland. roryfromcork@hotmail.com

Copyright

(Copyright © 2009, Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

10.1080/02688690902759078

PMID

19306171

Abstract

Motorcycles represent less than 2% of the licensed vehicles but motorcyclists account for 12% of road deaths in Ireland. The British Road Safety Authority has introduced the Sharp programme, which hopes to save 50 lives in the U.K. each year alone by helping riders to choose the best-fitting and safest helmets. We evaluated the pattern of head injuries sustained by motorcyclists referred to the two neurosurgical centres Beaumont Hospital and Cork University Hospital in Ireland and ascertained if the new SHARP guidelines could be of benefit in reducing the burden of motorcycle related neurotrauma and disability in Ireland. Despite Ireland having mandatory helmet laws almost a quarter of our motorcyclists with traumatic brain injury were unhelmeted. A significant reduction in mortality and morbidity is predicted if all motorcyclists in Ireland were to wear helmets that satisfied the SHARP criteria.

Language: en