According to research by the National Institutes of Health, helmet use reduces the chances of a head injury by 48%, serious head injury by 60%, traumatic brain injury by 53%, face injury by 23%, and the total number of killed or seriously injured cyclists by 34%.

A recent study on the safety effects of bicycle helmets suggests that wearing a helmet when bicycling is highly recommended. The use of bicycle helmets was found to reduce head injury by 48%, serious head injury by 60%, traumatic brain injury by 53%, and the total number of killed or seriously injured bicyclists by 34%.

Helmets reduce the risk of head injury by 48%, traumatic brain injury by 53%, facial injury by 23%, and fatal injury by 34%. 2 Pediatric non-helmeted bikers have a 3-fold higher risk of serious head injury compared to helmeted bikers; 3 one study suggests that helmet use may reduce the risk of head injury by 83%. 4

A meta-analysis of bicycle helmet efficacy by Attewell, Glase, and McFadden (2001) estimated that bicycle helmets reduce the risk of head injury by 60% and brain injury by 58%. As of January 2024, 22 states, the District of Columbia, and more than 200 localities had bicycle helmet-use laws, according to the Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute.