Roadside Chat – Cyclone or Hawkeye? Both wear helmets – just sayin.'
This weekend Iowa’s annual CyHawk series takes place in Iowa City. Whether you are rooting for the team in cardinal and gold or the one in black and gold, one piece of equipment that is consistent on both sides of the field is a helmet.
Helmets are essential on the football field to protect the players from head injuries. Helmets are also extremely effective at preventing injuries when you are on a motorcycle or other open air vehicle. According to a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration report, in 2019 helmets saved an estimated 1,872 lives in the U.S. In addition, they saved more than $3.5 billion in economic costs such as medical care, lost productivity, legal and court costs insurance costs, workplace costs, and property damage.
Did you know that if helmets have been involved in a major impact, they should not be used again? Curious about how helmets protect your head in a crash and the differences in protection between a helmet that has never been in a crash and one that has? Check it out https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VKHnjxFdqv0!
In 2024 in Iowa, 215 people have been killed in traffic crashes. That’s an increase of six since last Friday. In Iowa in 2023, there were 377 traffic-related deaths. To see statistics published daily by the Office of Driver Services, go to the daily fatality report at https://www.iowadot.gov/mvd/stats/daily.pdf