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The effect of bicycle helmet legislation on bicycling fatalities
Author(s) -
Grant Darren,
Rutner Stephen M.
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
journal of policy analysis and management
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.898
H-Index - 84
eISSN - 1520-6688
pISSN - 0276-8739
DOI - 10.1002/pam.20029
Subject(s) - legislation , spillover effect , poison control , injury prevention , human factors and ergonomics , occupational safety and health , suicide prevention , engineering , demographic economics , business , law , environmental health , political science , economics , medicine , microeconomics
A number of states passed legislation in the 1990s requiring youths to wear helmets when riding bicycles. The effect of this legislation on bicycling fatalities is examined by subjecting data from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System to a panel analysis, using a control‐group methodology. A helmet law reduces fatalities by about 15 percent in the long run, less in the short run. There is no evidence of spillover effects (to adults) or substitution effects (youths choosing other methods of transportation) associated with implementation of a helmet law. Through 2000, existing helmet laws have saved 130 lives. If all states had adopted helmet laws in 1975, more than 1500 lives would have been saved. © 2004 by the Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management.