Experts call for helmet safety after Utah has deadliest year of bike accidents
May 19, 2023, 5:27 PM | Updated: 5:29 pm
LEHI, Utah — Now that the weather is warming up, you’ve probably noticed more people out on their bikes.
Intermountain Health talked to the community Friday about staying safe on the trails this summer. Doctors have seen an increase in people getting seriously hurt while riding.
At Murdock Canal trail two bikers lost their life. With bike traffic really picking up, Intermountain Health is trying to get the word out ahead of time for people to wear their helmets and give others space.
15-year-old Adam Stewart learned firsthand how riding bikes can turn dangerous quickly.
Last fall, he was in the high school cycling state championship in St. George when he fell not once, but twice and suffered a bad concussion.
“I saw some riders in front of me and I knew I can catch them so I sped up and just hit a sandy patch and wiped out. I hit my head really hard on the ground,” Stewart said. “I kept riding because it’s the state championship and I wanted to make it to the podium.”
If he wasn’t wearing a helmet he says it could have been a lot worse.
Now, he’s sporting a new, safer one called Wave Cell.
“It flexes around your head when you crash and it acts like a car when a car crashes it scrunches up.”
Andrew Herrera is the injury prevention & trauma outreach coordinator at Intermountain Utah Valley Hospital.
“We’re seeing more and more accidents, broken bones, a lot of head injuries, and concussions,” Herrera said.
2022 was the deadliest year in Utah for bicycle accidents since the Utah Department of Public Safety started keeping track several years ago.
15 Utahns lost their lives and 49 were seriously hurt.
Herrera and Stewart want people to know the facts before they hit the trail.
“Wear your helmet. Give other people space when you’re passing them and just be courteous on the trail,” Herrera said.
If you need to get your helmet fitted or have questions about safety gear, you’ll want to head over here to Murdock Canal trail Saturday morning. Trauma experts from Intermountain will be along the trail helping people out.
