Those wearing helmet without chinstrap suffer injuries: Study

As many as 1,545 road traffic accident (RTA) patients (1,314 males and 231 females) between April 1 and December 31, 2011, were studied to evaluate the profile of head injury patients.

Of the 1,545 RTA patients, 1,346 were on two-wheeler vehicles and 199 on four-wheeler vehicles. It was found that male drivers of two-wheeler vehicles (71.4 per cent) were most commonly injured in the accidents.

The study found that only 13.4 per cent two-wheeler riders wore a helmet at the time of accident. Further, only 5.6 per cent females, and as against 14.7 per cent males, wore helmets. The possible reason might be exemption from wearing helmet for Sikhs and females, who comprised 16.1 per cent and 48.7 per cent of the population, respectively.

“Among helmeted patients, only 4.8 per cent suffered severe head injuries, compared to 23.7 per cent without helmet patients. Only full coverage helmets were effective in preventing head injury. Among helmeted patients with a proper chinstrap, 2.6 per cent suffered critical injuries compared to 14 per cent of non-strapped ones,” the study says.

Full head coverage also provides an extra advantage in reducing the injuries to cervical spine and facial structures, says the study which advocates a law making helmet compulsory for two-wheeler riders, irrespective of sex and religion.