Hahnemann University Hospital Neurosurgeons Report Nearly All
Fatally Injured Motorcycle Accident Patients Rode Helmetless

PHILADELPHIA – Avid motorcycle riders and neurosurgeons Francis Kralick, D.O., director of the spine program at Hahnemann University Hospital, and Joseph Queenan, M.D., clinical service chief of the hospital’s department of neurosurgery, report that since the 35-year-old mandatory helmet law was repealed in the state of Pennsylvania in 2003, nearly all fatally injured motorcycle accident patients treated at Hahnemann University Hospital were not wearing helmets.

Recent data from Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety cites nearly 75 percent of fatally injured motorcycle riders were not wearing a helmet in states without mandatory helmet laws compared with only 15 percent in states with all-rider helmet laws.  What’s more, latest data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates helmets saved 1,158 motorcyclists’ lives in 2003, and that 640 more could have been saved if all motorcyclists had worn them.

“In our practice, the patients we treat suffer from brain tumors, spinal problems such as disc disease, as well as spinal and head injuries,” said Dr. Queenan.  “Head trauma resulting from motorcycle accidents is an area where we are seeing an increase as of late.”

According to Dr. Kralick, “We know first-hand that motorcyclists aren’t invincible.  We see far too many trauma cases where severe head injuries would have been avoided, or at the very least, minimized, if the rider had worn a helmet.”

Although wearing a helmet is now considered a choice for Pennsylvania’s motorcycle riding community, Drs. Kralick and Queenan liken motorcycle helmets to automobile seatbelts.  The public has learned to follow the law and simply click their seatbelts into place before driving in a car, using them as a means of safety and protection.  And like seatbelts, while they provide protection, they do not completely remove risk.  According to the neurosurgeons, wearing a helmet while riding a motorcycle is a smart choice not only for safety and protection, but also for survival.

To learn more about the neurosurgery department at Hahnemann University Hospital visit www.hahnemannhospital.com.