FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
February 22, 1999
FOR INFORMATION CONTACT:
Kelley Elwood, 312/580-6497
Illinois Medical Society Supports Organ Transplant Fairness
New legislation supported by the 18,000 physician members of the Illinois State Medical Society will help protect Illinois children from accidental injury. House Bill 802, which was introduced last week, requires children under age 16 to wear an appropriate helmet when they ride a bicycle or are passengers on a motorcycle. Reps. Eileen Lyons (R-LaGrange) and Sara Feigenholtz (D-Chicago) are the lead sponsors of the bill.
According to the National Safe Kids Campaign (NSKC), 250 children are killed each year while bicycling and more than 900,000 children visit emergency rooms and physician’s offices for bicycle-related injuries. Helmets were found to decrease the risk of head injury by 69 percent, brain injury by 65 percent and severe brain injury by 74 percent in a study sponsored by the Snell Memorial Foundation.
"Helmet legislation saves children’s lives," said Richard A. Geline, MD, president of the Illinois State Medical Society. " It has been shown that when children wear bicycle helmets, the number of accidental injuries is dramatically reduced."
Currently 15 states have helmet laws applying to young bicyclists. NSKC found that in New Jersey, five years following passage of a state mandatory bike helmet law for children age 13 and under, bike-related fatalities decreased by 60 percent.
Not only would HB 802 protect children from potentially fatal injuries, but it would help curb health care spending.
"By preventing injuries that require long-term treatment, we not only improve the quality of life for our patients, but we help curb health care spending, " said Dr. Geline.
Every bicycle helmet saves this country $395 in direct health costs, according to NSKC. If 85 percent of all child cyclists wore bicycle helmets for one year, the savings in medical costs would be between $109 million and $142 million. A person who survives a head injury typically needs 5 to 10 years of intensive rehabilitation services. The estimated lifelong cost of these services may exceed $4 million per injured person.
Aside from mandating helmet use for children under the age of 16, the bill requires that the Secretary of State develop a bicycle safety video for public distribution when funding is available. The combined approach of public education and helmet legislation has already proven to be effective. After an extensive five-year community educational campaign in Seattle, Washington, helmet wearing among children increased from 5.5 percent to 40.2 percent. During that same period, hospital admissions for head injury from this age group decreased by over 65 percent. Following passage of a statewide law requiring helmet wearing, helmet use increased further to 75.2 percent.
"We need to do everything we can to protect the well-being of our children," said Dr. Geline."This legislation will help us do just that."
The Illinois State Medical Society represents 18,000 physicians practicing across the state in all specialties. Dr. Geline is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon practicing in Chicago.
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