To the Editor: Dinh and colleagues present data on head injuries among cyclists admitted to the emergency department of Sydney’s Royal Prince Alfred Hospital (RPAH) from 1991 to 2010,1 and conclude with their opinion that legislation mandating the wearing of bicycle helmets should be maintained. However, their data provide poor evidence of the efficacy of helmets and of the effectiveness of legislation requiring helmet use.
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- 1 Health Promotion Service, Sydney South West Area Health Service, Sydney, NSW.
- 2 Brisbane, QLD.
- 1. Dinh MM, Roncal S, Green TC, et al. Trends in head injuries and helmet use in cyclists at an inner-city major trauma centre, 1991–2010 [letter]. Med J Aust 2010; 193: 619-620. <eMJA full text> <MJA full text>
- 2. Johan de Hartog J, Boogaard H, Nijland H, Hoek G. Do the health benefits of cycling outweigh the risks? Environ Health Perspect 2010; 118: 1109-1116. doi: 10.1289/ehp.0901747.
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