Abstract
The Texas Transportation Institute (TTI) conducted observational surveys of bicycle-helmet use in six cities. Three of the cities (Austin, Houston, and San Antonio) were targeted by a Texas Office of Disabilities and Prevention program to increase bicycle-helmet use among 5 to 14 year-olds. Three control cities (Fort Worth, Dallas, and El Paso) were selected. Target-city and control-city observation zones were designated using census data for school attendance zones merged with county geographic files. School attendance zones in target and control cities were matched for ethnicity and socioeconomic characteristics. Observations were conducted in succession from July through September 1994. Helmet use data was collected through mobile surveillance. Observations in school areas were made in at least two socioeconomi-cally diverse neighborhoods whenever such neighborhoods existed in an attendance zone. Observers canvassed each observation zone, traveling by car on as many public roads as possible during each observation period. Overall, 1,485 bicyclists were observed in the six study areas. In each study area the number of bicyclists observed was between 200 and 350. Helmet use ranged from 3 percent overall in San Antonio to 22 percent overall in Austin; however, a great deal of variation was observed within each city. TTI plans to monitor program effects at the observation zones with two additional survey waves. Legislation mandating helmet use in Texas was introduced in 1994, but failed. Program efforts to be undertaken by the Texas Injury Control and Prevention office are planned for 1995 and 1996.
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