Last Update: 28 January 2025
A study examining motorcycle collisions revealed a significant decrease in facial injuries amongst riders wearing helmets. The research found that motorcyclists equipped with helmets were less likely to suffer from nasal fractures or jaw injuries compared to those without head protection.
Significant data confirm that the use of helmets reduce mortality, traumatic brain injury, and cervical spine injury and improve functional outcomes after a motorcycle crash. The relationship between facial injury and motorcycle helmets, however, has not been well-studied. A recent Cochrane review concluded that further research is needed to address the insufficient evidence on the effect of helmets on facial injury. Furthermore, reliable and valid data on the effect of helmets on facial injury are needed to better inform ongoing debates regarding mandatory helmet laws in the United States and worldwide. The objective of this study was to use the largest available trauma database to determine the effect of motorcycle helmets on the likelihood of developing a facial injury after a motorcycle collision.
Dr. Joseph Crompton, a surgeon at the University of California, Los Angeles who led the motorcycle helmet study, observed a concerning trend: “Motorcycle collisions and the number of motorcycles on the road have both increased dramatically in recent years.” He added, “There’s an ongoing debate regarding mandatory helmet laws for motorcyclists, and the number of states with such laws has declined in recent decades due to lobbying efforts from the motorcycle community.” Dr. Crompton, himself a motorcyclist, emphasised to Reuters Health, “This study strongly supports the need for mandatory helmet laws.
For the new study, Dr. Crompton and his colleagues analysed data from the National Trauma Data Bank, examining records of over 46,000 motorcyclists admitted to U.S. hospitals following accidents between 2002 and 2005. A significant portion of these riders, 77%, were wearing helmets during the crashes. This practice demonstrated a crucial role in reducing the severity of facial injuries, as reported in the Archives of Surgery.
77% of Helmeted Motorcyclists Experienced Less Severe Facial Trauma in Collisions
In total, about 1,700 bikers suffered nose injuries, 2,300 had eye injuries and 800 busted their jawbones. Another 1,400 had face bruises from the collision. But helmeted bikers were less likely to come away with each of those injuries, and had a 60-percent lower chance of suffering any serious face-related harm compared to helmet-free riders, the researchers reported Monday in the Archives of Surgery.
Crompton said it’s been well documented that wearing a helmet protects motorcyclists against traumatic head injuries and death in the event of a crash. Now, he noted, there’s conclusive data showing facial injuries can be added to that list.
The researchers didn’t have information on the type of helmets bikers were wearing, so they couldn’t tell if having a face shield, for example, affected the risk of injury.
Dr. Peter Layde, co-director of the Injury Research Centre at the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee, said face shields likely play some role in preventing injury, but helmets can also absorb blows to the side of the head and prevent fractures there from extending to the face.
According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, 19 states and Washington, D.C. have laws requiring all motorcyclists wear a helmet. Another 28 states only require some bikers – such as those under 21 or under 18 – to wear a helmet, and Illinois, Iowa and New Hampshire have no motorcycle helmet laws.
“I don’t think anyone really argues with the logic that if you wear a helmet, you’re going to have fewer facial injuries,” said Dr. Terence O’Keeffe, a surgeon from the University of Arizona Medical Centre in Tucson, who has studied motorcycle accidents and injuries. “When I see people in the (emergency room), I can usually tell immediately what kind of motorcycle they were on and if they were wearing their helmet or not,” O’Keeffe, who also didn’t take part in the new research, told Reuters Health.
“No scientific evidence supports the notion that motorcycle helmets are detrimental to riders. However, Dr. O’Keeffe argued that the influence of the anti-helmet lobby, which wields significant economic power through tourism and related industries, has overshadowed scientific findings. He posed a crucial question: “I think the bigger issues are, how do we truly persuade legislatures to decide it’s worth having a motorcycle helmet law?”
Read the full study data here
Article course: Reuters health/Chicago Tribune
