A comparison of the effect of different bicycle helmet laws in 3 New York City suburbs

D.R. Puder, P. Visintainer, D. Spitzer and D. Casal

American Journal of Public Health, 1999, vol. 89, issue 11, 1736-1738

Abstract: Objectives. This study was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of 3 different bicycle helmet laws. Methods. A direct observational study of nearly 1000 cyclists at 20 matched sites in each of 3 contiguous counties- Rockland and Westchester in New York and Fairfield in Connecticut-was carried out. Rockland's bicycle helmet law requires approved helmets for all cyclists regardless of age; Westchester's, by state law, requires cyclists younger than 14 years to wear helmets; and Fairfield's, also by state law, requires cyclists younger than 12 years to wear helmets when riding on highways. Results. Rockland cyclists had the highest helmet use rate (35%), followed by Westchester (24%) and Fairfield (14%) cyclists. As a subgroup, teenagers used helmets least, a trend that was seen in all 3 counties. Conclusions. Our study suggests a positive effect of bicycle helmet legislation with no age limitation.

Date: 1999
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:aph:ajpbhl:1999:89:11:1736-1738_2

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