The Social Science Research Network has published a paper titled “Evaluating the Health Benefit of Bicycle Helmet Laws,” by Piet De Jong, suggesting that bicycle helmet laws “are counterproductive in terms of net health.” (Hat tip Infectious Greed)
From the abstract: “A model is developed which permits the quantitative evaluation of the benefit of bicycle helmet laws. The efficacy of the law is evaluated in terms of the percentage drop in bicycling, the percentage increase in the cost of an accident when not wearing a helmet, and a quantity here called the ‘bicycling beta.’ The approach balances the health benefits of increased safety against the health costs due to decreased cycling. Using estimates suggested in the literature of the health benefits of cycling, accident rates and reductions in cycling, suggest helmets laws are counterproductive in terms of net health.”
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