AFS Cinema
Questions About Helmets and Head Injuries
RECEIVED Tue., June 10, 2008
Dear Editor,
Apparently the media still hasn't learned the fundamental lesson of the Iraq war – namely, don't mindlessly and unquestioningly repeat the statements of authority figures, particularly those with an agenda. Everyone from the Statesman to the TV news to now the Chronicle has dutifully repeated that "a new study from the University Medical Center at Brackenridge … found that cyclists are nearly twice as likely to suffer a brain injury if they are not wearing a helmet" [“New Study Raises Specter of Helmet Law,” News, June 6]. This is an outright lie – this "study" (I use the term loosely here) showed no such thing! Let's look at the actual numbers taken directly from the Brackenridge data (www.lobv.org/docs/bicycle_poster.pdf). Out of 70 helmeted cyclists admitted for emergency care, 22 sustained head injuries, while 49 of the 121 cyclists who were not wearing helmets sustained a head injury. It's fairly easy to show that 31.4% of helmeted bicyclists suffered head injuries compared to 40.5% of cyclists without helmets. This difference is hardly statistically significant, given the sample size, but once one factors in the obvious fact that helmeted bicyclists are by definition more safety conscious, it seems that, if anything, wearing a bicycle helmet increases the likelihood of a head injury. Dr. Pat Crocker claims that they need to collect more data to achieve statistical significance, but such a study can never achieve significance, as it is fundamentally flawed due to hidden variables. Not that this matters, as by all appearances, Crocker's interest isn't public safety but rather promoting the political agenda of his friend Bruce Todd. In a similar "study" done in 2006, Crocker inadvertently "proved" that bicycle helmets are 90% effective at preventing broken arms and leg injuries – the detailed analysis can be found here: www.lobv.org/nhlcrocker.html. Meanwhile, how safe is biking, really? Take the bicycle safety quiz to find out: www.bicyclinglife.com/SafetySkills/SafetyQuiz.htm.
Apparently the media still hasn't learned the fundamental lesson of the Iraq war – namely, don't mindlessly and unquestioningly repeat the statements of authority figures, particularly those with an agenda. Everyone from the Statesman to the TV news to now the Chronicle has dutifully repeated that "a new study from the University Medical Center at Brackenridge … found that cyclists are nearly twice as likely to suffer a brain injury if they are not wearing a helmet" [“New Study Raises Specter of Helmet Law,” News, June 6]. This is an outright lie – this "study" (I use the term loosely here) showed no such thing! Let's look at the actual numbers taken directly from the Brackenridge data (www.lobv.org/docs/bicycle_poster.pdf). Out of 70 helmeted cyclists admitted for emergency care, 22 sustained head injuries, while 49 of the 121 cyclists who were not wearing helmets sustained a head injury. It's fairly easy to show that 31.4% of helmeted bicyclists suffered head injuries compared to 40.5% of cyclists without helmets. This difference is hardly statistically significant, given the sample size, but once one factors in the obvious fact that helmeted bicyclists are by definition more safety conscious, it seems that, if anything, wearing a bicycle helmet increases the likelihood of a head injury. Dr. Pat Crocker claims that they need to collect more data to achieve statistical significance, but such a study can never achieve significance, as it is fundamentally flawed due to hidden variables. Not that this matters, as by all appearances, Crocker's interest isn't public safety but rather promoting the political agenda of his friend Bruce Todd. In a similar "study" done in 2006, Crocker inadvertently "proved" that bicycle helmets are 90% effective at preventing broken arms and leg injuries – the detailed analysis can be found here: www.lobv.org/nhlcrocker.html. Meanwhile, how safe is biking, really? Take the bicycle safety quiz to find out: www.bicyclinglife.com/SafetySkills/SafetyQuiz.htm.
Patrick Goetz