CAN A COMBINATION OF LOCAL, REGIONAL AND NATIONAL INFORMATION SUBSTANTIALLY INCREASE BICYCLE-HELMET WEARING AND REDUCE INJURIES - EXPERIENCES FROM SWEDEN

Is it possible to substantially reduce the incidence of injuries relat ed to cycling through the provision of information on helmet wearing? This issue has been investigated in Skaraborg County, Sweden, where 90 percent of all pre-school children now use bicycle helmets. For child ren under 15, there was an average annual decrease in all bicycle-rela ted injuries of 3.1 percent, equivalent to a decrease of 48 percent ov er the study period, 1978-93 (for head injuries, 59%). Sweden as a who le showed a reduction of 32 percent in bicycle-related injuries (head injuries, 43%). In Skaraborg, children have been the target of helmet- wearing programs at local and regional levels since 1982, and at natio nal level since 1987. The elderly have not been targeted in helmet-wea ring programs; currently, they scarcely wear helmets at all, and showe d a significant increase in their injury rate over the period (4.7% an nually). The number of concussions sustained by helmet-wearers is esti mated to be one-third fewer than that of non-wearers. Comparisons with Australia and some parts of the U.S.A. indicate that, despite the sig nificant decrease in Skaraborg, greater effects might be achievable if information is supplemented by compulsory-helmet-wearing legislation. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.