From the Austin American-Statesman
http://www.statesman.com/news/conten...bikestudy.html
MEDICAL RESEARCH
Drinking and cycling in Austin shouldn't mix, doctors say
Intoxicated bicyclists 3.6 times more likely to suffer head injuries in cycling crashes, study finds.
By Mary Ann Roser
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Ever drink and ride?
Emergency medicine doctors for the Seton Family of Hospitals said it's not uncommon for people in Austin to hit downtown-area bars, then hop on their bicycles — behavior they strongly discouraged Wednesday.
Preliminary data for a study they plan to submit for publication next month found that one in five people they treated in a year's time for bike-related injuries at the University Medical Center at Brackenridge were drinking and riding — and almost always without a helmet.
In all, the hospital treated 200 bicycle wreck victims between December 2006 and November 2007, doctors said at a news conference. Of those, 40 had been drinking and just one was wearing a helmet after imbibing, said Dr. T.J. Milling, director of clinical research for the emergency departments at University Medical Center and Dell Children's Medical Center of Central Texas.
Those who ended up in the emergency room with injuries from bicycling and drinking were more likely to be riding in the downtown and University of Texas areas at night, Milling said. Nearly a third of the crashes involved a car, and the rest were "single bike accidents," he said.
They also found that intoxicated bicyclists were 3.6 times more likely to suffer head injuries in cycling crashes, said Dr. Pat Crocker, chief of emergency medicine at Dell Children's.
"We were very surprised by the strong association between drinking and not wearing a helmet," Crocker said.
People who think they are safer on a bike than behind the wheel after drinking are wrong, the doctors said. It takes more skill to maneuver a bicycle and "you don't have that metal armor" of a vehicle around you, Milling said.
Of the 200 bicyclists who were treated at the hospital, 58 percent of the drinkers suffered head injuries, versus 28 percent of the sober bikers, according to data that Milling provided.
Some bicyclists have been known to gather at downtown-area bars for "bike happy hours," but Preston Tyree, director of education for the League of American Bicyclists, said that trend started to wane a couple years ago. "There was bike pub crawl at one point, but we stopped most of those," Tyree said.
Crocker and Milling, along with former Austin Mayor Bruce Todd — who suffered severe head injuries despite wearing a helmet in a November 2005 bicycle crash — are urging the Austin City Council to pass an ordinance to require bicycle helmets for adults. Currently, only children younger than 18 must wear helmets.
The doctors said their study found that people who were not wearing a helmet were twice as likely to suffer a head injury as those who were wearing one.
As gas prices go up and parking becomes more scarce downtown, Todd predicted more people would turn to bicycling, creating more potential for crashes and injuries.
Todd fully recovered after more than $200,000 worth of medical bills but said if he had not been wearing a helmet, "I wouldn't be here or anywhere."
A helmet ordinance "doesn't have a chance," said Rob D'Amico, president of the League of Bicycling Voters, which was created to defeat such an ordinance. "Their argument is 'Let's put more body armor on their heads so it's cheaper for taxpayers.' We find that insulting."
Tyree agreed, saying it makes more sense to train bicyclists to avoid wrecks.
People who ride while intoxicated can't be cited for driving under the influence since they're not in a motor vehicle, but they could be ticketed for public intoxication, police spokesman Joe Muñoz said.
The doctors said they plan to continue studying local bicycle wrecks to strengthen their database for future publications.
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