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Kristen J. Mertz, MD, MPH and Harold B. Weiss, PhD, MPH

Kristen J. Mertz is with the Department of Epidemiology, Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, PA. Harold B. Weiss is with the Department of Neuro-surgery, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh.

Correspondence: Requests for reprints should be sent to Kristen J. Mertz, MD, Department of Epidemiology, 512B Parran Hall, 130 DeSoto Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, (email: mertzk{at}edc.pitt.edu).

To evaluate the 2003 repeal of Pennsylvania’s motorcycle helmet law, we assessed changes in helmet use and compared motorcycle-related head injuries with non-head injuries from 2001–2002 to 2004–2005. Helmet use among riders in crashes decreased from 82% to 58%. Head injury deaths increased 66%; nonhead injury deaths increased 25%. Motorcycle-related head injury hospitalizations increased 78% compared with 28% for nonhead injury hospitalizations. Helmet law repeals jeopardize motorcycle riders. Until repeals are reversed, states need voluntary strategies to increase helmet use.

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				News and notes Inj. Prev., October 1, 2008; 14(5): 338 - 340. [Full Text] [PDF]