Child deaths due to cycle helmets

Across the world the deaths of a number of young children have been attributed to their wearing of cycle helmets. The most usual cause of death has been strangulation.The children were not cycling when the tragedies occurred, but it is common for children at play to swap between activities without changing what they wear.

Four pathologists writing in The Medical Journal of Australia say that "Accidental hanging is still occurring among young children who wear bicycle helmets while engaging in activities other than bicycle riding. … Although such deaths are rare, it is important for parents and child carers to ensure that bicycle helmets are only worn by children for their intended purpose." (Byard, Cala, Ritchey and Woodford, 2011)

In absolute terms, the risk of death through wearing a helmet is very small. The information is significant mainly in the context that it is the only unambiguous evidence showing any relationship between fatalities and cycle helmet use. Fatalities are recorded comprehensively and accurately in most countries, but there is no statistically reliable evidence across any population of fewer deaths as helmet use has increased. A doctor in Sweden lamented, with regard to strangulations in that country and its child helmet law, "We know we have killed, but we can't show we have saved anyone". (Sweden, 1)

This information is presented here solely as a record of fact.

Year	Country	Child	Circumstances
2011	Sweden	Boy, 3 years	Helmet caught in tree (NB: Hockey helmet but of a type often used for cycling)	Aftonbladet, 2011
2010	USA	Boy, 3 years	Helmet caught on backyard swingset	KTRV-TV, 2010
2010	Norway	Girl, 3 years	Helmet stuck in tree while girl playing in kindergarden	Sweden, 2
2009	Australia	Boy, 5/6 years	Hanged from an overhead clothesline while jumping on a trampoline	SMH, 2009
2008	USA	Boy	Strangled. More details unknown.
2007	Australia	Boy, 3 years	Suspended by his helmet strap when he tried to climb out of a home window	Adelaide Now, 2007
2003	Australia	Boy, 2 years	Suspended by his helmet strap between a bunk bed and a wall	ABC, 2004b
1999	USA	Boy, 3 years	Asphyxiated while wearing a bicycle helmet and playing on playground equipment. Caught between two overlapping horizontal platforms when his helmet would not fit through the gap between them where his body had already gone.	BHSI, 2 CPSC, 1999
1997	Canada	Girl, 7 years	Hanged when helmets entrapped in opening in playground structure.
1984 to 1992	Sweden & Norway	6 incidents	6 cases of asphyxiation by helmet straps when the helmets caught in Swedish or Norwegian playground equipment. All boys under 6 years. 30 further non-fatal cases	BHSI, 2 CPSC, 1999

References

ABC, 2004b

Ambulance staff cleared over toddler's death. ABC News, 7 May 2004.

Adelaide Now, 2007

Helmet strangles boy, 3. Adelaide Now, 4 Apr 2007.

Aftonbladet, 2011

Martin ströps – av sin hjälm. Aftonbladet, 7 Jun 2011.

BHSI, 2

Playgrounds and helmets don't mix. Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute.

Byard, Cala, Ritchey and Woodford, 2011

Byard RW, Cala A, Ritchey D, Woodford N., 2011. Bicycle helmets and accidental asphyxia in childhood. Medical Journal of Australia MJA 2011;194(1):49.

CPSC, 1999

Bike helmets on playgrounds. US Consumer Product Safety Commission.

KTRV-TV, 2010

Tragic accident claims young boy's life. KTRV-TV, Nov 10 2010.

SMH, 2009

Boy, 6, strangled in freak trampoline accident. Sydney Morning Herald, 5 Jul 2009.

Sweden, 1

Swedish Helmet Initiative. Associated conference to the 3rd International Conference on Injury Prevention and Control. .

Sweden, 2

Sykkelhjelm årsak til dødsulykke. Barnehage. 17 Apr 2010.

Related News

Child deaths due to cycle helmets

References

See also