People who do not wear a helmet when riding a bicycle are 2.4 times more likely to be seriously injured in a traffic accident than people who wear a helmet, research at Taipei Medical University’s Health Policy and Care Research Center suggests.
Public bike sharing systems are becoming increasingly popular, with 10 cities or counties providing such services now, the center said.
However, along with the increasing number of riders, the number of cyclists involved in traffic accidents has also increased each year, it said.
Bicycle traffic accident reports have increased from 7,213 in 2005 to 14,874 in 2013, said Trauma Prevention and Disaster Medical Research Foundation chairman Chiu Wen-ta (邱文達), a former minister of health and welfare.
While 3.55 percent of deaths from traffic accidents in 2005 involved bicycles, the percentage increased to 6.74 percent in 2013, he said, adding that an average of about 260 to 300 people die in bicycle accidents each year.
Although most people ride bicycles at a relatively slow speed, the impact from being hit by a vehicle can still be strong enough to cause serious injuries, ranging from trauma, dizziness and nerve damage to physical disability, vegetative state or even death, Chiu said.
Wearing a helmet can protect the head from damage more than most people believe, he said.
About 20.7 percent of bikers who did not wear a helmet and were brought to a hospital after an accident were diagnosed with moderate to severe injuries, but only 2.3 percent of those who wore a helmet had moderate to severe injuries, said Kuo Chia-ying (郭家英), an assistant professor at the university’s Graduate Institute of Injury Prevention and Control.
When regulations were amended in 1997 to require all motorcyclists to wear a helmet, the number of reported injuries from motorcycle accidents dropped from more than 7,000 people to about 3,400 people a year, Chiu said.
Helmets can protect people and bikers should develop the habit of wearing helmets, Chu said.
People should choose bicycle helmets according to their head size, ensure they fit well and remember to tighten the helmets’ straps, he said.
They should also wear reflective vests and turn on their bike’s lights when riding at night, he said.
The regulations should be amended to require bicyclists to wear a helmet, Chu said.
“China is preparing to invade Taiwan,” Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Francois Wu (吳志中) said in an exclusive interview with British media channel Sky News for a special report titled, “Is Taiwan ready for a Chinese invasion?” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said today in a statement. The 25-minute-long special report by Helen Ann-Smith released yesterday saw Sky News travel to Penghu, Taoyuan and Taipei to discuss the possibility of a Chinese invasion and how Taiwan is preparing for an attack. The film observed emergency response drills, interviewed baseball fans at the Taipei Dome on their views of US President
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) today issued a "tsunami watch" alert after a magnitude 8.7 earthquake struck off the Kamchatka Peninsula in northeastern Russia earlier in the morning. The quake struck off the east coast of the Kamchatka Peninsula at 7:25am (Taiwan time) at a depth of about 19km, the CWA said, citing figures from the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center. The CWA's Seismological Center said preliminary assessments indicate that a tsunami could reach Taiwan's coastal areas by 1:18pm today. The CWA urged residents along the coast to stay alert and take necessary precautions as waves as high as 1m could hit the southeastern
The National Museum of Taiwan Literature is next month to hold an exhibition in Osaka, Japan, showcasing the rich and unique history of Taiwanese folklore and literature. The exhibition, which is to run from Aug. 10 to Aug. 20 at the city’s Central Public Hall, is part of the “We Taiwan” at Expo 2025 series, highlighting Taiwan’s cultural ties with the international community, National Museum of Taiwan Literature director Chen Ying-fang (陳瑩芳) said. Folklore and literature, among Taiwan’s richest cultural heritages, naturally deserve a central place in the global dialogue, Chen said. Taiwan’s folklore would be immediately apparent at the entrance of the
ECONOMIC BENEFITS: The imports from Belize would replace those from Honduras, whose shrimp exports have dropped 67 percent since cutting ties in 2023 Maintaining ties with Taiwan has economic benefits, Ministry of Foreign Affairs officials said yesterday, citing the approval of frozen whiteleg shrimp imports from Belize by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as an example. The FDA on Wednesday approved the tariff-free imports from Belize after the whiteleg shrimp passed the Systematic Inspection of Imported Food, which would continue to boost mutual trade, the ministry said. Taiwan’s annual consumption of whiteleg shrimps stands at 30,000 tonnes, far exceeding domestic production, the ministry said. Taiwan used to fill the gap by importing shrimps from Honduras, but purchases slumped after Tegucigalpa severed diplomatic ties with Taiwan
RSS