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EFFECTS OF BICYCLE HELMET LAWS ON CHILDREN'S INJURIES
Author(s) -
Markowitz Sara,
Chatterji Pinka
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
health economics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.55
H-Index - 109
eISSN - 1099-1050
pISSN - 1057-9230
DOI - 10.1002/hec.2997
Subject(s) - injury prevention , law , head (geology) , emergency department , poison control , occupational safety and health , human factors and ergonomics , medicine , suicide prevention , medical emergency , political science , nursing , geomorphology , geology
In recent years, many states and localities in the USA have enacted bicycle helmet laws. We estimate the effects of these laws on injuries requiring emergency department treatment. Using hospital‐level panel data and triple difference models, we find helmet laws are associated with reductions in bicycle‐related head injuries among children. However, laws also are associated with decreases in non‐head cycling injuries, as well as increases in head injuries from other wheeled sports. Thus, the observed reduction in bicycle‐related head injuries may be due to reductions in bicycle riding induced by the laws. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.