The Role of Helmet Fastening in Motorcycle Road Traffic Accidents

Abstract

Road traffic accidents are the leading cause of death among the Indian population. Motorcycle accidents are the most prominent type of injuries among road traffic accidents in India. In this prospective cross-sectional study, all the patients attending three centers in north Bangalore, with facial injuries occurring from a motorcycle accident, were included. The subjects were analyzed for the type of collision, helmet use, type of helmet use, and fastening status of the helmets. A total of 311 motorcyclists were included in this study for a period of 18 months (December 2015 to June 2017). There were 79.7% males and 20.3% females. The most prominent age group was 21 to 30 years. The percentage of riders sustaining facial injuries was significantly more in the non-helmeted group. The most common injuries in open face helmets were in the middle and lower third of the face, whereas in closed face helmets it was in the middle third of the face. The numbers of injuries were significantly higher in the nonfastened helmet group as compared with fastened helmet group. Helmet fixation is an important characteristic along with helmet type for the better effectiveness and safety of the helmets for the motorcyclists.

Maxillofacial trauma following road accidents—An 11‐year multi‐center study in Israel

“…The helmet type has been shown to play a major role in protecting motorcyclists. 34 Helmets have proven to reduce facial injuries among both motorcyclists and bicyclists 6 . Most of the commercially available helmets are open‐face helmets, 29 which supply only partial protection to the face, but are effective in preventing head trauma 16,27 .…”

“…Most of the commercially available helmets are open‐face helmets, 29 which supply only partial protection to the face, but are effective in preventing head trauma 16,27 . Additionally, helmet fixation defined as “the secured position of a helmet on the head" 34 is even more critical 35 and serves as a crucial characteristic for better effectiveness and safety of the helmets for motorcyclists 34 . Attention must be paid to the degradation of the motorcycle helmet material due to routine exposure to ultraviolet sunlight.…”

“…The helmet type has been shown to play a major role in protecting motorcyclists. 34 Helmets have proven to reduce facial injuries among both motorcyclists and bicyclists. 6 Most of the commercially avail-…”

“…16,27 Additionally, helmet fixation defined as "the secured position of a helmet on the head" 34 is even more critical 35 and serves as a crucial characteristic for better effectiveness and safety of the helmets for motorcyclists. 34 Attention must be paid to the degradation of the motorcycle helmet material due to routine exposure to ultraviolet sunlight. These changes presumably impair the efficacy and safety of helmets.…”

Do Helmet Use and Type Influence Facial Trauma Occurrence and Severity in Motorcyclists? A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

“…Most studies in the literature investigated helmet use and the number of fractures, [25][26][27][28][30][31][32][33][34][35][36][37][39][40][41][42][43][44][45][46][47] but only 8 of the 24 studies selected for meta-analysis used injury severity scales such as the AIS, ISS, and FISS. 10,26,[30][31][32]38,40,47 These scales are a tool to objectively quantify the injuries suffered by motocyclists.…”