The following appeared in a health newsletter.” A ten-year nationwide study of the effectiveness of wearing a helmet while bicycling indicates that ten years ago, approximately 35 percent of all bicyclists reported wearing helmets, whereas today that number is nearly 80 percent. Another study, however, suggests that during the same ten-year period, the number of accidents caused by bicycling has increased 200 percent. These results demonstrate that bicyclists feel safer because they are wearing helmets, and they take more risks as a result. Thus there is clearly a call for the government to strive to reduce the number of serious injuries from bicycle accidents by launching an education program that concentrates on the factors other than helmet use that are necessary for bicycle safety.”

The following appeared in a health newsletter.

“A ten-year nationwide study of the effectiveness of wearing a helmet while bicycling indicates that ten years ago, approximately 35 percent of all bicyclists reported wearing helmets, whereas today that number is nearly 80 percent. Another study, however, suggests that during the same ten-year period, the number of accidents caused by bicycling has increased 200 percent. These results demonstrate that bicyclists feel safer because they are wearing helmets, and they take more risks as a result. Thus there is clearly a call for the government to strive to reduce the number of serious injuries from bicycle accidents by launching an education program that concentrates on the factors other than helmet use that are necessary for bicycle safety.”

Write a response in which you discuss what specific evidence is needed to evaluate the argument and explain how the evidence would weaken or strengthen the argument.

The argument that helmets reduce cyclist injuries is based on two studies. The first study indicates that from 1995 to 2012, helmet use among bicyclists increased from 35 percent to 80 percent. The second study, however, shows that the rate of accidents has increased 200 percent during the same period. Based on the two studies, the authors conclude that helmets are ineffective and that bicyclists are choosing to take more risks as a result of wearing helmets.’The first study examined the use of bicycle helmets from 1995 to 2012. It found that the rate of helmet use rose from 35 percent to 80 percent. While this is a significant change, it is interesting that helmet use rose from 35 percent to 80 percent in ten years. Given that the number of bicyclists increased during that timeframe, this increase in helmet use may suggest that bicyclists were more aware of the dangers of bicycle riding and were beginning to wear helmets more often. However, it also may be indicative of the fact that helmets are becoming increasingly expensive. This increase in helmet prices may be the cause of a decline in helmet use.

The second study focused on bicycle accidents from 1999 to 2009. It found that the number of bicycle accidents rose from 4,500 to 15,500. This increase is significant, and it is reasonable to assume that the number of accidents has increased since 1999. However, the reason for the increase is unknown. It may be due to an increase in the number of cyclists, an increase in the severity of accidents, or a combination of the two. It is also possible that the increase in the number of accidents is due to increased awareness of bicycle safety among cyclists. If helmets are ineffective at reducing the likelihood of injuries, then it is reasonable to assume that the increase in the number of accidents is due to the fact that more people have chosen to ride their bicycles, which has led to an increase in the number of accidents.

While the increase in helmet use and the increase in accidents are intriguing, they do not prove that helmets are ineffective or that bicyclists are more likely to choose riskier routes when wearing helmets. It would also be interesting to see the number of accidents that have occurred since 1995. If the number of accidents has not increased, it may be that the increase in helmet use has actually led to a decrease in the likelihood of accidents. Furthermore, this study did not investigate the types of accidents that occurred. It is possible that the 200 percent increase in accidents is due to an increase in the number of cyclists and an increase in the severity of the accidents, which would indicate that helmets may be effective in preventing serious head injuries.