The Need for Bicycle Helmet Laws Bicycle accidents have increased dramatically in the United States. Approximately 500 American children and adolescents die in bicycle accidents each year, and three-quarters of these deaths result from head injuries (Jacques 1). Recent federal safety reports suggest that helmets can reduce the risk of head injuries, but that only 4 percent of children under ten wear helmets when riding bicycles. The percentage drops even further for young cyclists, particularly for the rebellious age group between 11 and 14 years old. Younger generations often cite peer pressure, or the "nerd" factor, as the main reason for not wearing helmets, and many adults say, "I didn't wear one as a kid and I'm fine." Although states have been slow to impose helmet laws due to such attitudes, I support the development of bicycle laws. Mandatory helmet use for children under 16 will be effective in reducing head injuries, deaths and medical insurance costs that affect us all. A federal safety agency report confirms that mandatory helmet laws reduce the risk of head injuries when cyclists are involved in a crash. Most fatal bicycle accidents involve collisions with motor vehicles of some kind. According to Louis Jacques, assistant professor at Wayne State University, bicycle-related injuries account for about 600,000 emergency room visits each year in the United States, and about half of bicycle accidents are head injuries. However, the federal safety report shows that bicycle helmets can reduce this number of head injuries by 85%. Unfortunately, the report also confirms that the use of bicycle helmets remains low, unless mandated by law (296). Despite the fact that helmets do not prevail on paper, increasing helmet use will not only reduce head injuries by 85%, reduce fatalities, and save millions of dollars for families and taxpayers, but will also save parents an immeasurable anguish. Regardless of one's personal stance on helmet use, it can't hurt cyclists to wear them; can definitely help. Cyclists should use their heads by wearing a helmet! Works Cited Baum, Bob. “Bicycle Injuries.” The Seattle Times. October 22, 2013: A1.Carnale, Jim. Personal interview. 22 April 2013.Jacques, Louis "Cycling". Public Health Report. March 2014: 296-301.Pessah, Joseph. "Safe cycling". Newsday. November 20, 2014: 7-8.Sacks, Jeffrey. “How many are preventable.” Journal of the American Medical Association. December 4, 2013: 3016-18.Weiss, Barry. "Bike helmets." Journal of the American Medical Association. December 4th. 2013: 3032 -33.