Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute

Bicycle and Mountain Bike Injuries
1991 - 2000

Summary: Injury data from CPSC in the decade before the turn of the century.

Source: Consumer Product Safety Commission
From injury data gathered in hospital emergency rooms.

                            Under     Under
       Total      Head      15 yrs    15 head

1991   567,700    66,820    381,450    50,160    

1992   607,615    70,616    423,671    55,239

1993   559,197    62,866    377,369    46,516 

1994   570,985    65,688    369,207    46,747

1995   553,064    63,216    339,866    42,843

1996   533,501    61,192    335,245    43,201

1997   567,002    61,861    350,546    41,261

1998   597,280    66,890    362,330    43,280

1999   614,590    71,720    378,260    47,920

2000   627,160    73,750    373,090    49,250 

Unfortunately, the head injury numbers for kids under 15 are not statistically significant, and even worse, all head injuries in the table are lumped together. You may be looking at a cut chin that required three stitches, or maybe at a severe concussion. But it is sure that you can not tell from these numbers what percentage should have been mitigated by a helmet. If the rider had one.