Wear a helmet on a motorcycle or e-bike, and fasten the strap
- High value
- Evidence A
- Buys life
- Costs a little
- Takes minutes
- No willpower
In plain words
Wearing a helmet with the strap fastened lowers a motorcyclist's risk of dying in a crash by about 40%, and of a head injury by about 70%. The strap has to be snug — a helmet dangling loosely on your head doesn't count.
- Cost
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A helmet costs 100 to 300 CNY. 5 seconds to put it on each time.
- What you get
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Cochrane pooled several studies. For motorcycle riders, wearing a helmet lowered the risk of death by 42% (odds ratio OR 0.58; 95% CI 0.50 to 0.68, the plausible range). Head injuries fell by 69% (OR 0.31, 95% CI 0.25 to 0.38)
- Notes
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Fasten the strap; a helmet hanging on the handlebar doesn't count. The numbers above come from motorcycles. There are no direct studies on e-bikes; the figures are carried over because the head is hurt the same way in a crash. For helmets when skiing, snowboarding and cycling, see §22.12 (helmets for skiing and mountain biking). For the age limit for children riding on the road, see §30.20 (riding an e-bike on the road under age 16).
- Evidence grade
- A : Specific numbers from meta-analyses, large cohorts or randomized trials; for law and policy, the statute or official text.
- Sources
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- Liu BC et al. (2008). Helmets for preventing injury in motorcycle riders. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD004333.pub3
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Translated from the Chinese original. Original book, section 1, tip 2. This section is about health and medicines. It is general information, not a substitute for a doctor’s diagnosis or prescription. Content may be out of date and rules differ by place. When you actually deal with an agency, a doctor or a court, follow what local officials, doctors and lawyers tell you. Disclaimer