Results of a recent study published by Hamad Medical Corporation’s (HMC) Hamad Trauma Center (HTC) found that none of the patients admitted to the trauma centre with a serious head injury as a result of a bicycle crash were wearing helmet and only 3% of patients with bicycle-related traumatic injuries (BRTI) were wearing a helmet.

The study ‘Bicycle-Related Traumatic Injury ( BRTI) Hospitalisations: Six Years Descriptive Analysis in Qatar’ was supported by HMC’s Medical Research Center and recently published in the ‘Journal of Injury and Violence Research’. The study described the bicycle-related traumatic injuries among victims seen and treated at the Hamad Trauma Center between 2010 and 2015.
The majority of the patients were young males, under the age of 30. Most were from Nepal (17%), Qatar (16%), and Sri Lanka (13%). The most common mechanism of injury (87%) for adults was a collision with another vehicle.
Younger victims, under the age of 20, were more likely to be injured in a fall rather than collision. Almost half of all victims had a head injury and only 3% of all patients suffering a BRTI were wearing a bicycle helmet at the time of the incident. Due to their unprotected nature, many suffered severe injuries and more than 40% needed an operation or admission to the Intensive Care Unit.
“To participate in safe and enjoyable bicycling, cyclists of all ages should follow safe riding habits; children and adults should always wear helmets whenever they cycle. Experts from the World Health Organisation (WHO), United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), and the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) agree that wearing a helmet is the single most effective way to reduce head injuries and fatalities resulting from motorcycle and bicycle crashes,” said Dr Husham Abdelrahman, lead author, senior consultant and director of the Trauma Resuscitation Unit, Hamad Trauma Center.
Dr Ayman El Menyar, co-author of the study and director of clinical research and consultant, Hamad Trauma Center, explained, “As a society, we must do our utmost to protect these very vulnerable road users. Strict enforcement of distracted driving and mandatory bicycle helmet laws and the creation of more dedicated cyclist lanes or areas for recreational cyclists to practice their sport will go a long way to reducing the number of these unnecessary victims.”

The Hamad Injury Prevention Programme of the Hamad Trauma Center is providing the following safety recommendations for all cyclists in Qatar: