Annually, 196 children younger than age 15 die from bicycle-related injuries. Approximately 8,900
additional children were hospitalized for bicycle-related injuries, and another 344,000 were treated and released in
emergency departments. Bicycle helmets prevent 52 to 60 percent of bike-related head injury deaths (for all ages),
as well as an estimated 68 to 85 percent of nonfatal head and scalp injuries, and 65 percent of upper and middle
face injuries, even when misuse is considered. Thus, bicycle helmets significantly reduce the total medical costs for
bike-related head injuries.
A. Costs Saved
Every $10 bike helmet generates $570 in benefits to society.
1
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.
References
Miller, T. R., Douglass, J. B., Galbraith, M. S., Lestina, D., & Pindus, N. M. (1994). Costs of head and
neck injury and a benefit-cost analysis of bicycle helmets, Head and neck injury. Warrendale, PA:
Society for Automotive Engineers.
Miller, T., & Hendrie, D. (2005). How should governments spend the drug prevention dollar: A
buyer’s guide. In T. Stockwell, P. Gruenewald, J. Toumbourou, & W. Loxley (Eds.), Preventing
Harmful Substance Use: The Evidence Base for Policy and Practice (pp. 415–431). West Sussex:
John Wiley & Sons.
Miller, T. R., Romano, E. D., & Spicer, R. S. (2000). The cost of childhood unintentional injuries and
the value of prevention. The Future of Children, 10(1), 137–163.
Miller, T. R., Zaloshnja, E., Lawrence, B. A., Crandall, J., Ivarsson, J., & Finkelstein, A. E. (Oct. 2004).
Pedestrian and pedalcyclist injury costs in the United States by age and injury severity. Proceedings
of the Association for the Advancement of Automotive Medicine (pp. 265-284). Key Biscayne,
Florida.
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