Changes in motorcycle-related head injury deaths, hospitalizations, and hospital charges following repeal of Pennsylvania's mandatory motorcycle helmet law.
To evaluate the 2003 repeal of Pennsylvania's motorcycle helmet law, we assessed changes in helmet use and compared motorcycle-related head injuries with non-head injuries from 2001-2002 to 2004-2005. Helmet use among riders in crashes decreased from 82% to 58%. Head injury deaths increased 66%; nonhead injury deaths increased 25%. Motorcycle-related head injury hospitalizations increased 78% compared with 28% for nonhead injury hospitalizations. Helmet law repeals jeopardize motorcycle riders. Until repeals are reversed, states need voluntary strategies to increase helmet use.
Department of Epidemiology, Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, 512B Parran Hall, 130 DeSoto Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA. mertzk@edc.pitt.edu
Kristen J
KJ
Mertz
Harold B
HB
Weiss
D000063:Accidents, Traffic / Q000401:mortality*; D006259:Craniocerebral Trauma / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D016208:Databases, Factual; D006260:Head Protective Devices / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D017722:Hospital Charges; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D007878:Legislation as Topic; D037141:Mandatory Programs; D009049:Motorcycles / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010414:Pennsylvania / Q000453:epidemiology; D013219:State Government