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Abstract
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SummaryQuestion
Does exempting motorcyclists from wearing helmets increase the number of deaths from motorcycle accidents?Study design
Cohort study.Main results
An estimated 46 to 82 additional deaths occurred in Florida the year after adult motorcycle riders were exempted from wearing helmets, representing a 49% increase in the number of motorcycle riders killed in motorcycle accidents. This number was reduced slightly when the increasing trends in the number of motorcycle registrations and miles travelled were taken into account (deaths per 10,000 registrations: 21%; deaths per billion miles: 38%). 61% of adults dying in crashes were not wearing helmets.Authors' conclusions
Weakening helmet laws significantly increases the number of deaths from motorcycle accidents. |