Bicycle Helmet Use

Most head injuries could be prevented if every cyclist wore a helmet. New research suggests that the bike helmet law in Ontario has helped decrease the number of children (below the age of 16) killed in cycling crashes. This research supports extending the bike helmet law to cyclists of all ages.  For more information on cycling injuries in Simcoe Muskoka, please visit the HealthSTATS page on cycling injuries.  For more information on helmet use, please visit the health unit's website on helmet safety.

Simcoe Muskoka households with children five to nine years old were surveyed as part of the Rapid Risk Factor Surveillance System (RRFSS). In 2004 and 2005, in Simcoe County and Muskoka District respectively, about four out of five households reported their child always wears a helmet while riding a bicycle.

Also in 2005, people 12 years and older across Canada were survyed as part of the Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS), cycle 3.1. Among Simcoe Muskoka teenagers (12-19) that have ridden a bicycle in the past three months, 55% (43.2%, 65.6%) report always or mostly wearing a helmet when riding a bicycle and 45% (34.4%, 56.8%) report rarely or never wearing a bike helmet. This was similar to what was reported from Ontario teens (12-19) for that same survey.