Abstract
Background
Michigan repealed a 35-year mandatory helmet law in April 2012. We examined the impact
of this legislation on a level 1 trauma center.
Methods
A retrospective cohort study comparing the 7-month period before and the 3 motorcycle
seasons after the helmet law repeal.
Results
A total of 345 patients were included in the study. Nonhelmeted riders increased from
7% to 28% after the repeal. Nonhelmeted crash scene fatalities were higher after the
repeal (14% vs 68%). The nonhelmeted cohort had significantly higher in-patient mortality
(10% vs 3%), injury severity score (19 vs 14.5) and abbreviated injury scale head
(2.2 vs 1.3). Non-helmeted riders also had increased alcohol use, intensive care unit
length of stay and need for mechanical ventilation. The median hospital cost for the
non-helmeted cohort was higher (P < .05).
Conclusions
The impact of the Michigan helmet law repeal continues to evolve. Three years after
this legislative change, we are now observing increased injury severity score, higher
in-patient mortality, and worse neurologic injury.
Keywords
To read this article in full you will need to make a payment
Purchase one-time access:
Academic & Personal: 24 hour online accessCorporate R&D Professionals: 24 hour online accessOne-time access price info
- For academic or personal research use, select 'Academic and Personal'
- For corporate R&D use, select 'Corporate R&D Professionals'
Subscribe:
Subscribe to The American Journal of SurgeryAlready a print subscriber? Claim online access
Already an online subscriber? Sign in
Register: Create an account
Institutional Access: Sign in to ScienceDirect
References
- Repeal of the Michigan helmet law: early clinical impacts.Am J Surg. 2014; 207: 352-356
- Impact of motorcycle helmets and state laws on society’s burden.Ann Surg. 2009; 250: 390-394
- Changes in motorcycle-related head injury deaths, hospitalizations and hospital charges following repeal of Pennsylvania’s mandatory motorcycle helmet law.Am J Public Health. 2008; 98: 1464-1467
- Motorcycle Helmets-medical costs and the law.J Trauma. 1990; 30: 1189-1199
- Characteristics of motorcycle-related hospitalizations: comparing states with different helmet laws.Accid Anal Prev. 2007; 39: 190-196
- The impact of a repealed motorcycle helmet law in Miami-Dade county.J Trauma. 2002; 52: 469-474
- Increased fatalities after motorcycle helmet law repeal: is it all because of lack of helmets?.J Trauma. 2007; 63: 1006-1009
- The negative impact of the repeal of the Arkansas motorcycle helmet law.J Trauma. 2002; 53: 1078-1086
- Wayne State University Transportation Research Group. 2013 Direct Observation Survey of Motorcycle Helmet Use, Office of Highway and Safety Planning, 2013.2013
- An evidence-based review: helmet efficacy to reduce head injury and mortality in motorcycle Crashes: EAST Practice Management Guidelines.J Trauma. 2010; 69: 1101-1111
- Helmet use among motorcyclists who died in crashes and economic cost savings associated with state motorcycle helmet laws—United States, 2008-2010.MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2012; 61: 425-430
- The public cost of motorcycle trauma.JAMA. 1998; 260: 221-223
Article info
Publication history
Published online: December 20, 2015
Received in revised form:
November 25,
2015
Received:
July 13,
2015
Footnotes
There were no relevant financial relationships or any sources of support in the form of grants, equipment, or drugs.
The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
Identification
Copyright
© 2016 Elsevier Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
