Effectiveness of bicycle helmet safety intervention in schools

A comparison of student vs. parent-oriented strategies

Abstract

The effectiveness oftwo bicycle helmet education programs, one oriented toward students and the other toward parents, was compared in two elementary schools. Helmet use was tabulated before, during, and immediately after intervention programs were introduced in the Spring. Summer and Fall helmet use were also monitored to detect latent or long term effects of the two educational approaches. A pre-intervention parental survey revealed that 37% of the children already had helmets, yet baseline counting documented that none were being used. Intense student-oriented education and incentives had little short-term effect, increasing helmet use from 0 to only 5%. However, the teaching appeared to have a latent effect, resulting in a helmet use of 17% at the start of the following school year. During the summer, helmets were used by 24-30% of riders in the study community, slightly greater than in the control community. The less intense parent-oriented intervention did not alter either short or long-term helmet utilization. The results suggest that under ideal circumstances, student-oriented interventions may be the more successful approach. Yet educational efforts alone may not be sufficient toinduce a substantial and sustained increase in bicycle helmet use among elementary school children.