Bicycle accident in Munich: helmet saves cyclist from worse injury!

Bicycle accident in Munich: helmet saves cyclist from worse injury!

Erika-Mann-Straße, 80339 München, Deutschland - A bicycle driver from Munich suffered a severe fall on Monday morning, July 14th, on Erika-Mann-Straße, which was caused by a violent gust of wind. The 37-year-old fell and suffered some injuries, but decided to go to a hospital for medical clarification independently. Fortunately, according to the police, her bicycle helmet prevented worse head injuries. The helmet was badly damaged in the fall, but the woman could get away with relatively minor injuries. Her bike was also only slightly damaged.

The incident was recorded by the Munich traffic police, which now leads the further investigation. Here you can guess how important a helmet can be when cycling. Because the numbers speak a clear language: A study shows that wearing helmets can prevent up to 80% of the head injuries from cycling, which underlines the urgent need to move more people to carry. The study by HFC Human-Factors-Consult from 2017 shows that helmet bearers usually only suffer slight head injuries, while without a helmet the risk increases serious injuries.

Helmtrage rate in Germany and Europe

The helmet trage ratio in Germany was in 2021 in almost 32% of the cyclists, which represents an increase of 5% compared to the previous year. In the age group of 31 to 40 years in particular, there is a significant increase from around 15% to 30%. For children and adolescents there is a mixed picture: While 78% of 6 to 10 year olds wear a helmet, the quota for young people between the ages of 11 and 16 is only 38%, which is a decrease of 16%.

Surprisingly, only 1.1% of cyclists wear a helmet in the Netherlands, despite the high use of bicycle. This is due to the excellently developed infrastructure that makes cycling safer. In cities like Copenhagen, the helmet trage quota is higher, but the helmet remains a controversial topic in mobility policy. While some argue that better infrastructure is more important, the Dekra study emphasizes that the helmet remains essential even in uncertain situations to avoid serious injuries.

risk factors and opinions

A survey showed that 66% of the cyclists do not wear a helmet, although fear of hairstyle is a frequently mentioned reason. Women and younger drivers in particular: on the inside are affected by this concern. Interestingly, 82% of those surveyed stated that wearing a helmet did not affect their driving style. Experts like Dr. However, Barbara Schmidt emphasize the objective risk reduction that carries a helmet in road traffic.

The security that a helmet offers is particularly important for older cyclists and users of e-bikes. It was also found that non-legislative interventions, such as local campaigns for helmet production, are much more effective than legal regulations. Therefore, it remains to be seen how the helmet trage quota will develop in Munich and all of Germany.

Only one thing is certain: the cyclist from Munich has experienced a clear advantage with her helmet, and her experience could encourage other cyclists not to neglect the protection of a helmet while driving.

Sources: ich-trag-helm.de , Dekra-Roadsafety.com .