The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) supports the enactment of bicycle helmet usage laws. Bicycle helmets offer bicyclists the best protection from head injuries resulting from bicycle crashes, and bicycle helmet laws have been proven effective in increasing bicycle helmet use. Key Facts: More than 47,000 bicyclists have died in traffic crashes in the United States since 1932, the first year that bicycle fatality estimates were recorded. In 2002, 662 bicyclists were killed, and approximately 48,000 were injured in traffic-related crashes. Children aged 14 and under accounted for 141 (21%) fatalities, making this one of the most frequent causes of injury-related death for young children. Each year more than 300,000 children aged 14 and under are treated in emergency rooms for bicycle-related injuries. Universal bicycle helmet use by children aged 4 to 15 would prevent 39,000 to 45,000 head injuries, and 18,000 to 55,000 scalp and face injuries annually. Bicycle helmets are 85% to 88% effective in mitigating head and brain injuries, making the use of helmets the single most effective way to reduce head injuries and fatalities resulting from bicycle crashes. Despite the fact that nearly 70% of all fatal bicycle crashes involve head injuries, only about 20% to 25% of all bicyclists wear bicycle helmets. Nationally, bicyclists aged 14 and under are at five times greater risk for injury than older cyclists. As with safety belts, child safety seats, and motorcycle helmets, enacting laws requiring the use of bicycle helmets, along with education and visible enforcement, is likely to be the most promising way to increase bicycle helmet usage. Legislative Status: The first bicycle helmet law was passed in California in 1986 and became effective in 1987. This law was amended in 1994 to cover anyone under age 18. As of October 2002, 20 States (including the District of Columbia) have enacted age-specific bicycle helmet laws. Most of these laws cover bicyclists under age 16. H.R. 965, the Child Safety Protection Act of 1994, required the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to develop a mandatory bicycle helmet standard. On March 10, 1998, the CPSC published a final rule establishing 16 CFR Part 1203, Safety Standard for Bicycle Helmets, which applies to bicycle helmets manufactured after March 10, 1999. The interim mandatory standard that went into effect on March 17, 1995 continues to apply to helmets manufactured between March 17, 1995 and March 10, 1999. The standard mandates several performance requirements including: Impact protection in a crash: The standard establishes a performance test to ensure that helmets adequately protect the head in a collision or a fall. Children"s helmets and head coverage: The standard specifies an increased area of head coverage for children aged 1 to 5. Chinstrap strength: The standard establishes a performance test to measure chinstrap strength to prevent breakage or excessive elongation of the strap during a crash. Helmet Stability: The standard specifies a test procedure and requirement for rolling off a head during a collision or fall. Peripheral Vision: The standard requires that a helmet allow a field of vision of 105 degrees to both the left and right of straight ahead. In addition, helmets meeting the standard must have a label indicating that they meet the CPSC"s safety standard. Cost Savings: The estimated annual cost of bicycle-related injuries and deaths (for all ages) is $8 billion. It is expensive to treat bicycle-related head injuries because these injuries can endure for a lifetime. Every dollar spent on bike helmets saves society $30 in indirect medical costs and other costs. Summary of State Bicycle Helmet Laws: Jurisdiction-- Ages/Conditions Alabama-- Under 16 California-- Under 18 Connecticut-- Under 16 Delaware Under-- 16 District of Columbia-- Under 16 Florida-- Under 16 Georgia-- Under 16 Hawaii-- Under 16 Louisiana-- Under 12 Maine-- Under 16 Maryland-- Under 16 Massachusetts-- Under 13 New Jersey-- Under 14 New York-- Under 14 North Carolina-- Under 16 Oregon-- Under 16 Pennsylvania-- Under 12 Rhode Island-- Under 16 Tennessee-- Under 16 West Virginia-- Under 15