rss
Inj Prev 2003;9:177-179 doi:10.1136/ip.9.2.177
  • Brief report

Children's bicycle helmet use and injuries in Hillsborough County, Florida before and after helmet legislation

  1. K D Liller1,
  2. J Nearns1,
  3. M Cabrera1,
  4. B Joly2,
  5. V Noland3,
  6. R McDermott1
  1. 1University of South Florida College of Public Health, Tampa, Florida
  2. 2Maine Center for Public Health, Augusta, Maine
  3. 3University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
  1. Correspondence to:
 Associate Professor Karen DeSafey Liller, University of South Florida College of Public Health, 13201 Bruce B Downs Blvd, Tampa, FL 33612, USA;
 kliller{at}hsc.usf.edu

    Abstract

    The purpose of this research was to explore the changes in children's bicycle helmet use and motor vehicle bicycle related injuries in Hillsborough County, Florida before and after passage of the Florida's bicycle helmet law for children under the age of 16. The results show a significant increase in bicycle helmet use among children, ages 5–13, in the post-law years compared with the pre-law years. Also, there has been a significant decline in the rates of bicycle related motor vehicle injuries among children in the post-law years compared with the pre-law years. Although there have been complementary educational and outreach activities in the county to support helmet use, it appears that the greatest increase in use occurred after the passage of the helmet law. It is recommended that educational efforts continue to sustain helmet use rates and decreases in injuries.

    This Article

    1. Abstract
    2. Full text
    3. PDF
    4. Web-only Tables

    Responses

    1. Submit a response
    2. No responses published

    Register for free content

    The full back archive is now available for all BMJ Journals. Institutional subscribers may access the entire archive as part of their subscription. Personal subscribers will also have access to all content when logged in. Non-subscribers who register have free access to all articles published before 2006 right back to volume 1 issue 1. Register here to access the free archive of all BMJ Journals.

    Don't forget to sign up for content alerts so you keep up to date with all the articles as they are published.

    Official journal of ISCAIP and SAVIR