Texas Children's Bicycle Helmet Bill Analysis
Abstract
Each year over 600,000 people are treated in emergency departments (ED) for bicycle-related injuries. Nationwide, over eight hundred Americans die annually from this type of injury. Children account for 450,000 of these ED visits and an average of 400-600 of bicycle accident deaths annually (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2001). Head injury is the most common cause of death and serious disability in bicycle-related crashes; head injuries are involved in about 60-80 percent of the deaths, and 30 percent of the bicycle-related ED visits. Preventable deaths of children, and associated emotional and financial costs, are major problems for American society. The purpose of this Graduate Management Project was to objectively step through the entire policy making process as it applies to determining ways to mitigate traumatic brain injuries or deaths of children who are involved in bicycle accidents; and to prove my hypothesis that a Texas children's bicycle helmet law is the best alternative for mitigating the accidental death of children who received traumatic brain injuries resulting from an accident. The end goal is to improve children's bicycle riding safety through a mandated Texas helmet use policy.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- May 01, 2002
- Accession Number
- ADA421109
Entities
People
- Dana G. Venenga
Organizations
- Academy of Health Sciences