We read with keen interest the recent articles highlighting bicycle safety.

Summer affords a great opportunity to enjoy the weather and to participate in outdoor activities. Unfortunately, as the weather gets warmer, the number of accidents seen also increases.

We wanted to focus on the danger inherent in bicycles.

There are about 80 million bicycle riders in the United States. Approximately 700 bicyclists reportedly died on U.S. roads in 2008.

About 540,000 bicyclists visit emergency rooms with injuries every year. Of those, about 67,000 have head injuries, and 27,000 have injuries serious enough to be hospitalized.

Non-helmeted riders are 14 times more likely to be involved in a fatal crash than helmeted riders.

Head injuries account for more than 60 percent of bicycle-related deaths. A very high percentage of cyclists' brain injuries can be prevented by a helmet, estimated at anywhere from 45 percent to 88 per cent, according to the Bicycle Helmet Statistics Institute.

The neurosurgical services at both local hospitals in the Bloomington-Normal area have been aggressive in getting the word out about wearing bicycle helmets.

Accidents are never planned. That is the very reason we have a trauma and hospital structure in place to deal with emergencies.

Ultimately, the responsibility lies on each cyclist to wear a helmet, play their part in ensuring safety and avoid what is avoidable.

Mohammed A. Rahman and Thomas D. Reeder

Both of Bloomington

The writers are, respectively, chief resident,

neurosurgery, OSF St. Joseph Medical Center and chief resident, neurosurgery, BroMenn Regional Medical Center.