In this episode, host John Maher sits down with attorneys Rob Mazow and Kevin McCullough to explore the critical role of bicycle helmets in preventing serious head injuries. They share compelling statistics showing a high risk of head trauma in cycling accidents and explain how wearing a properly fitted helmet can reduce that risk significantly. The conversation also covers Massachusetts helmet laws for young riders, practical tips for ensuring the best fit, and the importance of setting a good example to encourage helmet use among children. Listeners will gain valuable insights into why helmet safety is essential for cyclists and how the right gear can save lives on the road.
John Maher: Hi, I am John Maher, and I’m here today with Rob Mazow and Kevin McCullough of the Law Office of Mazow McCullough. Today we’re talking about the importance of bicycle helmets. Welcome Rob and Kevin.
Kevin McCullough: Thanks, John.
Robert Mazow: Thank you, John.
Statistics on Head Injuries in Cycling Accidents
Maher: Sure. So guys, can you discuss the statistics on head injuries in cycling accidents and the severity of those injuries?
McCullough: Absolutely, John. Working in this area and this practice of law with personal injury, serious injury cases, wrongful death claims for almost 25 years now, we’ve come across a number of different injuries, different types of injuries. We represent injured parties. We’re members of different organizations that gather data so statistics are important for any business and certainly in an area of safety and recovery when someone’s injured.
I can share with you that the latest statistics show that if you are a bicyclist involved in a collision with a motor vehicle, there’s a 60% chance that you will suffer a head injury of some kind, and that is a shockingly high number. But when you think about it, it makes sense. Even with a helmet on, you are still likely to suffer a head injury because you’re going to be thrown onto the motor vehicle, onto the pavement, or onto some other object.
And no matter what part of your body takes the lead in that tumble, your head is going to go with it and strike something. So, we definitely see an increased chance of percentage of injury with the head injury. And on the other side of that, the statistics show us that if you are wearing a helmet, it decreases your chance of a head injury up to 40%.
So absolutely for bicycle safety, wear a helmet, have your family members wear a helmet and have your children wear a helmet because the evidence shows and the statistics show that you’re going to suffer an injury of some kind as a bicyclist involved with a collision with a car, but there’s a good chance that you can limit that injury by wearing a helmet.
Critical Role Helmets Play in Preventing Head Injuries
Maher: Can you talk a little bit more about the critical role that helmets play in preventing head injuries?
Mazow: Sure. I was just saying, I can’t believe we’ve been doing this for 25 years, what Kevin was just saying. When a person wears a helmet, obviously they’re going to prevent the serious, serious skull fracture kind of injuries. Concussions hopefully will be reduced, upper head, scalp injuries, scarring to the head, loss of hair, loss of skin, things like that. So, it’s obviously critical to save some serious potentially permanent injuries when wearing a helmet.
When we looked at those statistics, obviously they’re concerning when you see the percentage of head injuries when not wearing a helmet so we’re actually… We give away, Kevin and I, to local schools to local middle schools and elementary schools. We give away hundreds of bicycle helmets a year to these kids who either aren’t aware… The family might not be aware of the importance of wearing a helmet to prevent.
So, these kids who are biking to school or biking for recreation can get used to wearing a helmet. So it just becomes routine. Just like years ago before people started wearing seat belts and cars, they realize how many more lives were saved by wearing seat belts. It became the natural thing to do. Same with bicycle helmets. The earlier you get somebody to start thinking about it and wearing it, the more preventable serious head injuries.
Helmet Laws for Bicyclists in Massachusetts
Maher: Are there actually helmet laws for bicyclists in Massachusetts? And are there any penalties for not wearing your helmet?
McCullough: Actually, John, again, living in this world and operating in this world and specializing in these types of injuries, there is. Mass General Law Chapter 85 Section 11B is a law here in Massachusetts that if you are 16 years old or younger, you are required by law to wear a helmet. If you’re 17 years old or older, it’s optional. And the penalty for that really isn’t much at all because the government doesn’t want to force you to be safe or to protect you. But on some level, they have to enact laws to try to do that. So, if you’re 16 years old or younger, you should be wearing a helmet. It is the law, but the penalty will be a civil infraction, maybe a ticket, but even that is unlikely.
If a local police officer sees someone who’s young who should be wearing a helmet, they’re most likely going to pull them over and ask them to go home or take them home and try to find them a helmet. So it absolutely is a law here in Massachusetts and it’s designed for safety and to protect kids and adults alike. And there is a way to enforce that by law enforcement in a monetary payment with a civil infraction or a ticket if it’s not followed.
Helmet Laws for Adults
Maher: It’s interesting that there aren’t any laws for adults for that same reason, and especially because adults are going to be the ones who are tending to ride on the roads. Maybe they’re commuting to work on their bicycle or something like that. They’re maybe the ones who are even more likely to be in an accident while they’re driving to work or riding their bike to work rather.
McCullough: Right. Yeah. I think that in adults, we want to set good examples for our kids. So although it’s not a low, we are definitely seeing a lot more people, bicyclists regardless of age, wearing a helmet. And again, it’s only for your safety, which is a primary concern, but it’s the impression that you make on your children, your nieces, your nephews, your neighbors, to hopefully encourage them to wear a bicycle helmet as well.
So, although it may not be required by law for a 17-year-old or older individuals, usually we see it and more likely than not, people will be wearing that helmet for various reasons.
Properly Fitting Helmets
Maher: Do you know if, is it very important to wear a really properly fitted and maintained helmet, and how do people go about doing that?
Mazow: Absolutely. It is critical that you are wearing the helmet that fits your head. If you’re a child wearing an adult large helmet and helmets can really do you very little good if you’re hit and you hit your head in the ground. It’s not going to stay on. Strap could come off. It’s not going to… We want to be preventing concussions even at the most basic level, and if that helmet is not fitting securely against your head, you’re not going to be able to prevent yourself from getting a concussion potentially.
When we go and we give these helmets away, like I said, we go and we make sure that they’re fitting the child. We’re not just dropping a box of helmets off and saying to the kids, good luck. We’re actually spending the afternoon with these kids, fitting them with the helmet, making show it’s comfortable, making sure it’s fits, making sure they understand how the clip works.
Take it on and off. If you go and you want to go to a bike store and you buy a helmet, you want to make sure that you’re talking to the professionals there so that the helmet is the right helmet for you. There’s all sorts of, there’s racing helmets, there’s recreational helmets, but the important thing is that it fits properly, so it does the work it’s supposed to do.
McCullough: Yeah, John, the fitting properly is critical because it can actually be counterintuitive. You want a properly fitted helmet for your safety and protection, but if you are wearing a helmet that’s too big, especially as a child, it could cover your eyes or fall down over your eyes and not only not protect you, but be the ultimate cause of your injury. So, a fitted helmet is very important, and as I mentioned, if you’re wearing a helmet that’s not properly fitted, you may be causing more problems than you’re trying to help resolve.
How to Encourage Kids to Wear Helmets
Maher: So, you guys are doing a great job with like you said delivering bike helmets to children, showing them how to use them, and that’s really great work that you guys are doing. How else do you think that we can encourage children to wear helmets more and anybody to encourage them to wear a helmet more often?
Mazow: Well, like Kevin said earlier, so much of it is by example, leading by example. Adults need to be wearing helmets so that they’re modeling the right behavior for kids. It’s something that could be discussed in public schools or in a gym class. It could be a discussion about proper bike safety, including helmet wear and getting a proper helmet for having the proper size of helmet.
But it’s education, its teaching people, its doing some public service announcements. It’s getting out there like we’re doing and trying to get people to understand that they need to be wearing helmets to make sure that they are safe and their kids are safe.
McCullough: Yeah, John, I think that starts at home with the parents. As Rob mentioned, I think having some oversight or discussion of safety and wearing a helmet at school is very important. Oftentimes elementary school, middle school children drive their bikes to and from school. So you don’t want to be the parent that gives the child the helmet, shows them how important it is. Wear a helmet yourself as the dad, and then your child drives to school and takes the helmet off. That doesn’t help anyone.
We also need the schools to at least educate and on some level, if possible, some oversight to promote the reasons why you wear a helmet and to encourage the kids when they come in the morning to park their bikes and lock them up for the day that they have a helmet, that they bring the helmet.
You make it easier for them to bring the helmet into the school if necessary on a rainy day or something like that. I think all of the things that make the day easier for a child driving a bicycle to and from school will absolutely help promote the child for bringing the helmet, wearing the helmet, and knowing and appreciating the purpose of the helmet.
Maher: All right, well, that’s really great information. Rob and Kevin, thanks again for speaking with me.
McCullough: Thanks, John.
Mazow: Thank you, John.
Maher: And for more information, you can visit the law office of Mazow McCullough at helpinginjured.com or call (978) 744-8000.
