Bicycle helmet effectiveness is not overstated

Objective: The objective of this study was to discuss the challenges in estimating bicycle helmet effectiveness from case–control studies of injured cyclists and to estimate helmet effectiveness from cases and available exposure data.

Methods: Data were extracted from studies of cyclists in Seattle; Victoria and New South Wales, Australia; and The Netherlands. Estimates of helmet use were used as exposure to compute relative risks for Seattle and Victorian data. Cycling distance data are routinely collected in The Netherlands; however, these data cannot be disaggregated by helmet use, which makes it unsuitable for estimating helmet effectiveness. Alternative controls were identified from larger cohorts for the Seattle and New South Wales cases.

Results: Estimates of helmet effectiveness were similar from odds ratios (ORs) using hospital controls or from relative risks (RRs) using helmet use estimates (Seattle: OR = 0.339, RR = 0.444; Victoria: OR = 0.500, RR = 0.353). Additionally, the odds ratios using hospital controls were similar when controls were taken from a larger cohort for head injury of any severity (Seattle: OR = 0.250, alt OR = 0.257; NSW: OR = 0.446, alt OR = 0.411) and for serious head injury (Seattle: OR = 0.135, alt OR = 0.139; NSW: OR = 0.335, alt OR = 0.308). Although relevant exposure data were unavailable for The Netherlands, the odds ratio for helmet effectiveness of those using racing, mountain, or hybrid bikes was similar to other estimates (OR = 0.371).

Conclusions: Despite potential weaknesses with case–control study designs, the best available evidence suggests that helmet use is an effective measure of reducing cycling head injury.     

The effects of a mandatory motorcycle helmet law on helmet use and injury patterns among motorcyclist fatalities

BACKGROUND: The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has found that motorcycle helmets are 37% effective in preventing death and 65% effective in preventing brain injuries in a crash. Unfortunately, in 1995 Congress lifted federal sanctions against states without helmet laws and since then there have been a number of primary motorcycle helmet laws repealed or weakened. More lives could be saved and serious injuries avoided if there was increased helmet use throughout the United States. METHODS: This study analyzed helmet use and injury patterns among motorcycle riders in the United States involved in fatal crashes from 1995 through 2003 and compared the results between states with and without a primary helmet law. Age, sex, injury severity and helmet use are some of the variables obtained from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS). RESULTS: In the 20 states and the District of Columbia, which currently have a primary helmet law, 84.0% of fatally injured riders were wearing a helmet. In the 27 states with a secondary helmet law, 36.2% of fatalities used a helmet, and in the remaining three states with no law at all, helmet use dropped to 17.6%. In the two states (Arkansas and Texas) that changed from a primary helmet law to a secondary helmet law in 1997, helmet use decreased from 78.2% in 1996 to 31.7% in 2000. CONCLUSION: If all states were to enact a primary motorcycle helmet law, helmet use would dramatically increase while decreasing the number of motorcyclist head injuries and fatalities. IMPACT ON INDUSTRY: The results of this study will hopefully persuade law makers to enact primary helmet laws in all states throughout the nation. Helmet manufacturers can use this data to design more comfortable helmets while also improving upon the protective qualities of these safety devices.     

State helmet laws and helmet use among fatally injured moped riders in the United States, 2011–2015

Objective: Research has found that mandatory motorcycle helmet laws increase helmet use and reduce motorcycle-related fatalities. However, the association between state moped helmet laws and helmet use in the United States has not been examined. This study investigated this association among a census of fatally injured moped riders in the United States.

Methods: A logistic regression model was constructed to analyze data extracted from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) to examine risk factors for helmet nonuse among 572 moped riders fatally injured between 2011 and 2015.

Results: Fatally injured moped riders in states with universal helmet laws had 69 times the odds of wearing a helmet (P < .001).

Conclusions: Findings suggest that universal moped helmet laws increase helmet use. However, additional research is needed to examine helmet laws and use among nonfatally injured moped riders.     

智能防触电安全帽系统的设计

设计了一种智能防触电安全工作帽系统。在智能防触电安全帽外侧的不同方位上,加装若干感应探头,可探测各个方向场强,使佩戴者能实时了解头部周围电场强弱变化。根据设定,可以发出报警、提示信号。采用了zigbee芯片CC2430无线数据传输模块通讯,具有多点对多点的快速组网功能。每个安全帽都成为一个节点,可与后台安全监督基站通信。各个佩戴者之间可以相互提醒,后台安全监督基站能及时全面督查,为在高压环境下工作人员提供多重安全防护。     

工业安全帽抗冲击性能研究*

为研究安全帽安全性与保护性问题,利用落锤冲击实验,对不同材质安全帽吸能率、冲击力峰值进行研究。结果表明:随冲击能量增加,安全帽受冲击力峰值呈指数倍增长,吸能率呈指数倍下降;ABS树脂与玻璃钢材质安全帽头模受冲击力峰值小于HDPE材质安全帽;当冲击能量大于60 J,HDPE材质安全帽丧失保护功能;ABS安全帽能够承受最大冲击力能量值为70 J,玻璃钢安全帽最大承载力高于ＡＢＳ树脂安全帽。研究结果可为安全帽质量设计提供理论依据。     

Biodynamic simulations of helmet mass and center-of-gravity effects

The addition of extraneous devices (such as night vision goggles) to the helmet assembly has created a new safety hazard for the aviator. The additional mass and misplaced center of gravity (cg) associated with these devices poses the threat of neck injury during ejection, windblast, parachute opening, and other high-G maneuvers. Computer biodynamic simulations using the Articulated Total Body model shows that additional mass has very little effect on head injury scales, head/neck torques, and flexion angles. On the other hand, any combination of cg offset or initial head rest position that causes the head/helmet assembly cg to be anterior of the head/neck joint results in significant head rotation, head torques, and head injury scale values.     

如何选购和正确使用安全帽

安全帽作为一种个人头部防护用品,能有效地防止和减轻工人在生产作业中遭受坠落物体和自坠落时对人体头部的伤害,它广泛地适用于建筑、冶金、矿山、林业、化工、电力、交通等行业。实践证明只有选购佩戴一顶性能优良的安全帽,才能真正起到对人体头部的防护作用。     

Predicting bicycle helmet wearing intentions and behavior among adolescents

INTRODUCTION: Cycling accidents in Australia, especially those resulting in head injuries, are a substantive cause of death and disability; but despite legislation and evidence that helmets reduce the risk of head injury, few adolescents wear them. METHOD: This study employed a revised version of the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB; [Ajzen, I. (1991). The theory of planned behavior. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 50, 179-211]) to investigate the determinants of helmet use among a sample of adolescents. Participants in the initial data collection were 294 high school students in Year 8 and Year 11, with 266 completing a follow-up questionnaire measuring behavior over the previous two weeks. RESULTS: Social norms, perceptions of control, and past behavior significantly predicted intentions to use helmets and perceptions of control and past behavior predicted actual helmet use. CONCLUSIONS: Strengthening the routine of helmet use and building young people's confidence that they can overcome any perceived barriers to helmet use will improve adherence to helmet wearing behavior.     

辐射制冷技术在安全帽上的应用研究*

为缓解夏季配戴安全帽导致的头部高温不适，采用具有光谱选择特性的辐射降温涂料对安全帽表面光学性能进行改性，经光学测试，安全帽的太阳辐射反射率由45%提升至89%，大气窗口发射率由92%提升至95%。对安全帽进行降温效果测试，并基于测试结果建立热力学模型。结果表明:在阳光直射下，改性安全帽内部温度低于普通白色安全帽，温差最大12.2 ℃；在热力学模型中，即使在夏季最热时间段（12∶00～14∶00），改性安全帽内部温度仍可比普通安全帽低8 ℃，预测平均评价值由普通安全帽的3.5降低至1.0，预测不满意百分比从100%降低至20%。     

摩托车头盔与摩托车交通事故的相关研究

我国近年来的摩托车死亡事故占交通事故死亡总数的25％-28％。在我国摩托车使用比较普及的地区，摩托车交通事故数占到该地区交通事故总数的70％-80％，伤亡比例占到总数的50％以上，甚至更高。通过对摩托车交通事故伤亡人员的具体受伤部位分析，发现头部受伤致死的比例非常高，占到该类事故死亡总数75％以上，远远高于其他部位受伤致死率。摩托车驾乘人员头部受伤致死的主要原因是摩托车驾驶乘人员头盔佩戴率低和佩戴的头盔质量差，对头部未能起到应有的保护作用。造成这一局面既有摩托车乘员头盔标准等技术层面存在的问题，又有行业监管等政策层面存在的问题，最后，文章从摩托车头盔标准方面提出了几点修订建议，为规范头盔行业进行基础性的准备。     

新型安全帽系列的开发研究

安全帽是保护人体头部不受伤害的装备,已在各种生产、作业、施工现场得到广泛应用。目前我国安全帽的品种很多,但是由于市场管理还不够规范,产品质量存在着良莠不齐现象。为了更好地保护劳动者的安全和健康,为广大消费者服务,我们在广泛调查研究基础上,进行了新型安全帽系列开发研究,产品迅速获得了市场的认可和用户的好评。     

Motorcycle helmets and spinal cord injury: helmet usage and type

The objective of this study was to assess the role of helmets and helmet type in relation to injury to the cervical spinal cord. It was based on a consecutive series of 110 motorcyclists with neurological damage to the spinal cord admitted alive (referred to as acute survivors) to a specialist spinal cord injuries unit at an Australian hospital. Cases were those with injury to the cervical spinal cord and controls were those with injury to the cord of other segments of the spine. The study showed that there was no significant difference in the odds of cervical spinal cord injury among unhelmeted and helmeted motorcyclist acute survivors. In addition, it confirmed the findings of a recently published Australian fatality study demonstrating no difference in the odds of cervical spinal cord injury among full-face and open-face helmet wearers. These results contrasted with the findings of earlier studies. In consideration of the limitations of existing research on the role of helmets in spinal cord injury, further study is required based on a larger series or a series having a higher proportion of non-wearers and open-face helmet wearers, including both survivors and those killed, and including assessment of cord and non-cord spinal injuries separately, helmet type, head impact, and helmet retention.     

有限元在安全帽设计中的应用

安全帽可以防止高空坠落物对人员头部造成伤害。在材料和工艺一定的前提下,安全帽的结构对发挥安全帽的作用尤为重要。本文首先对安全帽作用机理及使用情况进行分析,指出改善安全帽帽壳缓冲性能有利于更好地发挥安全帽的作用。然后简要介绍ANSYS的建模方案以及网格划分和自由度约束情况,通过对安全帽的ANSYS有限元分析,得出安全帽的变形和应变图,并通过分析安全帽从最低端到顶端的变形和应变情况,指出安全帽在撞击过程中的能力吸收规律,根据分析数据提出建立双层安全帽帽壳的改进方案,并再次通过有限元分析得出变形和应变图,验证了双层安全帽帽壳在缓冲方面更有效果,这种分析结果可以为安全帽帽壳的设计提供参考。     

基于改进的YOLOv4安全帽佩戴检测研究

为了加强建筑工人佩戴安全帽情况的检测,防止安全事故的发生,提出1种改进的轻量级YOLOv4安全帽佩戴检测算法,用于运行在移动设备端,降低现场部署的条件;制作1个8 000幅图像的数据集,用于训练和评估安全帽检测算法;为了评估改进的YOLOv4的性能,从5个不同建筑工地采集到600张施工人员图像和60条施工视频作为验证集;根据建筑工地不同的视觉条件对图像进行分类,用于验证本文算法在不同外界环境下的性能。结果表明:改进后的模型检测速度是YOLOv4的3.4倍,可用于实时检测施工人员在不同施工现场条件下是否佩戴安全帽的情况,有利于提高安全检查和监督水平。     

基于机器学习方法的安全帽佩戴行为检测

施工现场作业人员是否佩戴安全帽主要依靠人工检查,存在监管效率低、时效性差等问题,为了实时自动监管作业人员是否佩戴安全帽,提出1种基于机器学习的安全帽佩戴行为检测方法。首先利用深度学习YOLOv3算法检测出现场视频中的施工人员脸部位置,根据安全帽与人脸的关系估算出安全帽潜在区域;然后对安全帽潜在区域图像进行增强处理,使用HOG（方向梯度直方图）提取样本的特征向量;再利用SVM（机器学习的支持向量机）分类器对脸部上方是否有安全帽进行判断,进而实现对施工人员安全帽佩戴行为的实时检测与预警。以某高铁站施工现场为例进行验证,研究数据表明在施工通道和塔吊作业区域,该方法可实时有效检测出工人未佩戴安全帽的行为,识别率达90%。     

LFT-G注塑工艺在玻璃钢安全帽生产中的应用

玻璃钢安全帽因具有强度高、耐高温,耐水、酸、碱、油、化学腐蚀及良好的绝缘性等特点,被广泛应用于石油化工、矿山、电力、冶炼等多个行业。目前,玻璃钢安全帽的生产工艺仅有两种,一是手糊,二是模压。但这两种生产工艺不仅存在粉尘、噪声、有毒物质等多种职业危害因素,而且由于部分关键工序采用手工制作,因而造成玻璃钢安全帽的质量性能的不稳定。使用LFT-G（长纤维增强热塑性塑料颗粒）作为原材料,将注塑工艺引进玻璃钢安全帽的生产中,实现了玻璃钢安全帽的注塑生产。这种工艺,不仅职业危害因素大大减少,而且也因关键工序中不存在手工作业,从而大大增加了玻璃钢安全帽质量的稳定性,同时,由于LFT-G粒料的长度增加,经过加工后,安全帽成品中的纤维长度也会增加,使得安全帽的抗冲击性能等满足标准要求。为此,以LFT-G为基础的玻璃钢安全帽的注塑工艺具有广阔的应用前景。     

Risky behaviors and helmet use among young adolescent motorcyclists in Southern Thailand

Background: In Thailand, road traffic injuries are the leading cause of death for youth ages 15–19 years, with 80% of the injuries and deaths from motorcycle accidents. Objectives: To determine the prevalence of child and young adolescent motorcyclists in Hat Yai municipality and their risk behaviors. Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted between June 2011 and March 2012 in which 2,471 students, ages 8 to 18 years, were recruited from 9 primary and secondary schools in Hat Yai municipality. The questionnaire included questions on being a motorcycle rider or passenger, risky behaviors, and helmet use while riding. Results: Of the total, 1,573 (63.7%) were riders and 898 (36.3%) were pillion passengers. The majority of the riders younger than 15 years rode their motorcycle mainly only in narrow streets for a short trip. Only 30% of the riders wore a helmet every time they rode a motorcycle. About 10% of the participants riding or a passenger on a motorcycle had consumed alcohol at least once before riding their motorcycle. Multiple logistic regression analysis found that motorcycle injuries were significantly associated with speeds greater than 60 km/h, not wearing a helmet while riding, and alcohol consumption before riding (odds ratios 1.63, 1.59, and 3.09, respectively). Conclusion: Nearly two thirds of young adolescents in Hat Yai municipality were motorcycle riders. These young adolescents were at risk of traffic injuries because more than 50% of them had ridden at high speed or not worn a helmet while riding, and some of them had consumed alcohol before riding.     

Florida's weakened motorcycle helmet law: effects on death rates in motorcycle crashes

OBJECTIVES: Effective July 1, 2000, Florida's universal helmet law was amended to exclude riders ages 21 and older with insurance coverage providing at least 10,000 US dollars in medical benefits for injuries sustained in a motorcycle crash. Observed helmet use in Florida was reported to have declined from nearly 100% in 1998, before the law change, to 53% after. This study examined the effects of the law change on the likelihood of death, given involvement in a motorcycle crash. METHODS: Rates of motorcyclist deaths per crash involvement in Florida for 2001-2002 (after the law change) were compared with those for 1998-1999 (before the law change). Before/after death rate ratios (95% CIs) were examined, and logistic regression models estimated the effect of the helmet law change on the odds of death in a crash, while controlling for rider gender, age, and seating position, and number of vehicles. RESULTS: The motorcyclist death rate increased significantly after the law change, from 30.8 to 38.8 deaths per 1,000 crash involvements. Motorcyclist death rates increased for single- and multiple-vehicle crashes, for male and female operators, and for riders of all ages including those younger than 21. After controlling for gender and age, the likelihood of death given involvement in a motorcycle crash was 25% higher than expected after the law change. It is estimated that 117 motorcyclist deaths could have been avoided during 2001-2002 if Florida's universal helmet law had remained in place. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides evidence of the life-saving benefits of universal helmet laws. The results also suggest that age-specific helmet laws are not effective in protecting the youngest drivers. This is not surprising, as these laws are largely unenforceable.     

Motorcycle helmet effect on a per-crash basis in Thailand and the United States

OBJECTIVE: To compare the effectiveness of motorcycle helmets seen in prospective on-the-street motorcycle accident investigations. The data are drawn from two detailed, in-depth studies of motorcycle accidents, in which trained investigators collected extensive accident evidence on-scene immediately after the crash. This article compares helmeted and unhelmeted motorcycle riders on a per-accident basis for fatality rates, the rate of serious (AIS > 2) brain injuries among survivors, or an outcome that involved either of the two. METHODS: Nine hundred motorcycle crashes in Los Angeles and 969 crashes in Thailand were investigated in detail at the accident scenes, including photos of vehicles, skids, damage, and sometimes the rider. Helmets were collected and injury information was obtained from riders and care providers. This evidence was then used to reconstruct collision events to identify speeds, precrash motions, collision contacts, injury causation, and helmet performance. RESULTS: In both studies, approximately 6% of riders were killed and 20-25% were hospitalized. Overall, unhelmeted riders were two to three times as likely to be killed, and three times as likely to suffer either death or survival with AIS > 2 brain injury. Unhelmeted survivors had three to four times as many AIS > 2 brain injuries as helmeted riders on a per-crash basis. Nearly 100% of riders with AIS > 4 somatic injuries died. Such injuries were 30% of Thailand fatalities and 57% of L.A. fatalities, but only about 2-3% of the overall accident population. Among the 97-98% of riders with AIS < 5 somatic injuries, helmet use could prevent about three-fourths of fatalities and brain injuries. CONCLUSIONS: Helmets were extremely effective in preventing brain injury and death in 97% of the accident population in less-than-extreme crashes. Helmet use cannot prevent all fatalities because many of those killed succumb to below-the-neck injuries that a helmet cannot prevent.