CALIFORNIA BICYCLE NEWS AND CYCLING SAFETY TIPS BLOG

Concussions are among the most common injuries cyclists sustain during bicycle accidents. While helmets are very effective at preventing more serious traumatic brain injuries, they cannot always prevent concussions. Concussions happen when the brain bounces and twists inside of the skull due to the force of an impact, something bicycle helmets have a difficult time preventing. In a 2013 report by the National Research Council and Institute of Medicine, it was found that current helmet designs do not effectively reduce the risk of sports-related concussions. In fact, there has been a 67 percent increase in bicycle accident related concussions from 1997 to 2011. One study by the American Association of Neurological Surgeons found that cycling accounts for more concussions than any other sport. According to the study, bicycle accidents caused 86,000 concussions in 2009. Football has been in the news lately due to a very high rate of concussions among…
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Two bicycle accident survivors were guests at a public symposium hosted by the Brain Injury Research Center at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center. Actor Larry Miller and triathlete Greg Parks both suffered traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) from a bicycle accident. Both men shared their stories, talking about how their accident occurred and how they recovered. In 2012, Greg Parks was involved in a bicycle accident that left him with a TBI. He remembers riding in Santa Clarita the day the accident occurred, but the details of what happened are still fuzzy to him. Although he cannot remember the moments that led up to his accident, he does remember the four weeks he spent in the hospital and the rehabilitation that came after. Larry Miller, known for his roles in Seinfeld and Boston Legal, was in a near-fatal bicycle accident that left him on life support for a month. Miller had…
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Concussions are some of the most common reasons cyclists seek emergency care after a bicycle accident. Even in the world of professional cycling, athletes are at risk for the common brain injury. Concussions in professional cycling were taken more seriously after Chris Horner crashed his bicycle during the 2011 Tour de France. After displaying signs of disorientation and confusion, the professional cyclist attempted to climb back onto his bicycle and finish the race. Unfortunately, Horner continued to suffer from dizziness and confusion for months after. How Do Professional Cyclists Handle Traumatic Brain Injuries? In the past three years, managing concussions in the sport of cycling has undergone changes. Cyclists can learn a lot from the UnitedHealthcare (UHC) Pro Cycling team. UHC has recently developed a new cognitive analysis capable of accurately and quickly detecting concussions, so athletes can get prompt medical attention. Before the beginning of a racing season, cyclists…
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