Repeal of the Michigan helmet law: the evolving clinical impact

Background: Michigan repealed a 35-year mandatory helmet law in April 2012. The authors 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, the authors are now observing increased injury severity score, higher in-patient mortality, and worse neurologic injury.

• Record URL:
  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amjsurg.2015.11.004
• Record URL:
  http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0002961015300052
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/00029610
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Abstract reprinted with permission of Elsevier.
• Authors:
  • Striker, Rebecca H
  • Chapman, Alistair J
  • Titus, Rachel A
  • Davis, Alan T
  • Rodriguez, Carlos H
• Publication Date: 2016-3

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Web
• Features: References; Tables;
• Pagination: pp 529-533
• Serial:
  • American Journal of Surgery
  • Volume: 211
  • Issue Number: 3
  • Publisher: Elsevier
  • ISSN: 0002-9610
  • Serial URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/00029610

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Crash injuries; Fatalities; Impact studies; Injury severity; Laws; Motorcycle crashes; Motorcycle helmets; Repeal
• Subject Areas: Highways; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01602630
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Jun 3 2016 9:26AM