North Carolina Bicycle Helmet Study
During the summer of 1999, HSRC researchers collected observational
data about bicycle helmet use in 22 randomly selected cities
and towns throughout North Carolina.
The central finding of this study is that most bicyclists riding
in NC do not wear a bicycle helmet. There was considerable variation
in helmet use depending on the type of site at which the bicyclist
was observed. The overall correct helmet use rate was lowest
in neighborhoods (13 percent), followed by collector streets
(22 percent), greenways (37 percent), and mountain biking trails
(80 percent).
Helmet use was also related to the characteristics of the observed
cyclists. For example, across the full sample, the lowest correct
helmet use rate was 10 percent for the 14-18 age group. The use
rate was generally higher for cyclists older than 18 years, as
well as for children 0-5 years old.
Further results show greater helmet use among cyclists who treat
bicycling as a serious activity. This is reflected in higher
use rates for riders of road bikes, and for those who use gloves
and/or a backpack when bicycling. Nearly every bicyclist (98
percent) who was observed with both gloves and a backpack was
wearing a helmet. On the other hand, helmet use among those for
whom bicycling appears to be a casual activity is quite low.
In the spring and summer of 2002, approximately six months following
the effective date of the mandatory helmet use law, HSRC repeated
the statewide observational survey. Survey results indicate that
helmet use has increased by a modest amount compared with use estimated
from the 1999 survey. Statewide helmet use estimated from the probability
sample of on-street locations was 24 percent for helmet use (includes
correct and incorrect use) in 2002 compared to 18 percent in 1999.
View Full Report:
Helmet Use in North Carolina Following a Statewide Bicycle Helmet Law (503 kb PDF)
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