Think with your helmet!

Representatives of the McGill University Health Centre’s trauma team and the Montreal City Police Service gathered on the busy corner of Guy Street and De Maisonneuve today to drive-home an important message – cycle helmets save lives. Cyclists and passers-by received important information and advice about how helmets can protect against head injuries.

“Wearing a helmet can reduce the potential or severity of a head injury by 60-85%, as well as reduce the odds of dying,” says Tara Grenier, the Injury Prevention Coordinator at the MUHC’s level 1 Trauma Centre. “We encourage people to cycle, which is healthy for the body and the environment, but it is important to take the necessary precautions against head injury, and that means wearing a helmet.”

Today’s partnership between the Montreal City Police Service and the Montreal General Hospital's Trauma Centre to raise awareness of cycling related head injuries is part of a larger initiative with various organizations that have an interest in injury prevention. “When the same message comes from many sources, it becomes that much stronger,” said Grenier. “These are the first steps towards a Montreal injury prevention coalition.”
“Wearing a helmet is excellent complementary protection to following the rules of the road,” says Nathalie Valois, consultant and bicycle patrol officer at the Service de police de la Ville de Montréal (SPVM). “The SPVM encourages cyclists to follow these safety precautions whether riding in the city or on bicycle paths.”

The Trauma Program at the Montreal General Hospital would like to thank Louis Garneau for providing helmets for the head injury prevention initiatives. To find out more about the safety initiative or on the medical perspective on helmet use, email: trauma [dot] program [at] muhc [dot] mcgill [dot] ca.

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The McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) is a comprehensive academic health institution with an international reputation for excellence in clinical programs, research and teaching. Its partner hospitals are The Montreal Children's Hospital, the Montreal General Hospital, the Royal Victoria Hospital, the Montreal Neurological Hospital and Institute, the Montreal Chest Institute and the Lachine Hospital. The goal of the MUHC is to provide patient care based on the most advanced knowledge in the healthcare field, and to contribute to the development of new knowledge.