Head and facial injuries after low-speed motor-cycle accidents.

In the United Kingdom there appears to be little available information concerning the prevalence and the patterns of head and of facial injuries sustained in road traffic accidents by motorcyclists wearing protective helmets. The present preliminary survey was of 56 accidents in urban traffic. 50 per cent of surviving motor-cyclists incurred head injuries. Soft tissue facial wounds were sustained by 38 per cent and fractures of facial bone and teeth by 11 per cent of the injured. The majority of the accidents occurred at speeds of 30 m.p.h. or less to riders of machines of small cubic capacity. Motor-cyclists wearing open-face style helmets had more facial damage after accidents than those wearing full-face style helmets. The results of the survey suggest the need for research into the degree of protection against head and facial injuries offered by the various helmet styles and their constituent materials.