Helmet Safety Program:
Snow Machines & ATV
Data
Snow Machine Rider Helmet Observations 2006
May 9, 2006
This report is prepared in accordance with contract #069365 -
Helmet Observation Study, for the Section of Injury Prevention &
Emergency Medical Services, Division of Public Health, Alaska Department
of Health & Social Services, under the direction of Gordon Glaser,
Project Officer.
Alaska Snow Machine Helmet Observational Surveys
January – April 2006
Ron Perkins, MPH
This project segment documented helmet use by snow machine riders in various locations across Alaska.
Snow Machine Rider Observations
A baseline observation survey of snow machine rider’s helmet use
was conducted during the winter of 2001 by the Alaska Injury
Prevention Center. The communities surveyed in 2001 were Anchorage,
Bethel, Dillingham, Fairbanks and Kotzebue.
The communities surveyed during the 2006 observational surveys included:
- Anchorage
- Bethel
- Dillingham
- Fairbanks
- Kenai/Soldotna
- Kotzebue
- u
- McGrath
- Nome
- Tanana
More communities were surveyed in 2006 than in 2001, and more than
twice the number of observations were completed. Observers documented
the date, time, temperature, and location for each 1-2 hour survey
period. They would then observe the number of snow machines, riders,
passengers and helmet use for each. Care was taken not to make
duplicate counts of the same machines during a survey period.
The snow machine rider observations were conducted from late
January through early April 2006. We had a late start for the snow
machine observations due to contracting details, and finding reliable
observers in each community. Other challenges came from the extremely
cold weather in late January, which was -30 to -50 degrees below zero
in much of Alaska. We chose not to survey during this cold spell due
to concern for observer safety and a lack of riders. The Anchorage
area had a general lack of snow until mid February.
There was a total of 2,209 observations in 2006, which compares to
1,101 observations in the 2001 study. The 2006 average usage rate for
the communities surveyed was 57%, compared to 50% in 2001. Since there
were different sample sizes in each community, the percentages of
helmet use were summed and averaged to get the statewide averages. This
procedure was also used on the 2001 data so the results would be
comparable.
The greatest disparity in helmet usage was found when
comparing urban and rural riders. The urban areas (Anchorage, MatSu,
and Fairbanks) had an average helmet usage of 81% while the rural areas
had an average of 47%. When comparing the communities surveyed in 2001
and 2006, helmet use increased in every community surveyed, with the
exception of the Anchorage/MatSu area, which decreased 9%. The remaining
communities had increases of 8% to 125%. Kotzebue had the greatest
increase in helmet use at 125%. Dillingham and Fairbanks had the
smallest increases at 8% and 9%.
The helmet usage rates for all of the age groups increased from
2001. Adults increased 15%, teens increased 16%, and children (<13
yoa) increased by only 6%. Dillingham and Fairbanks had no children
observed, while of the observed children in MatSu were wearing helmets
(n=17). The statewide helmet use percentages showed adults at 53%,
teens at 64%, and children at 52%. Surprisingly teens had the highest
usage of the three age groups in 2001 and in 2006.
All snow machines had a “rider” or driver, but surveyors also
documented whether there was a “passenger” on the machine. A total of
54% of the drivers wore a helmet and only 31% of the passengers.
Observers also documented whether the survey site was located within the
community or outside of the community, 61% of the drivers outside of
the community were wearing a helmet and 40% of the drivers “in” the
community were helmeted. Only 23% of the passengers observed within
the communities were helmeted and 35% of the passengers outside the
communities were helmeted.
SUMMARY
The 2006 survey had twice the number of communities and twice the
number of observations as did the 2001 survey. Observed snow machine
helmet usage increased in the communities surveyed over the past 5
years. Some individual communities have seen an increase of 8-9% while
the greatest increase for a community was 125% (Kotzebue). The
average usage rate for males, at 58%, is nearly the same as the average
rate for females at 55%. Of the three age groups surveyed, teens had
the highest usage rate at 64%, with adults and children at 53% and 52%
respectively.
As hypothesized, the total riders observed riding “in town” had
lower helmet usage (37%) than the riders observed riding “out of town”
(56%). Drivers had an average of 54% usage rate, while passengers had
an average rate of only 31%. The usage rate for “in town” passengers
was the low at 23%, while the drivers “out of town” was the high at
61%.
Snow Machine Helmet Use Analysis — WINTER 2006
|
|
HELMETS WORN |
Helmets Worn by AGE GROUP |
CITY |
Observed |
Yes |
No |
%yes |
Adult |
Teen |
Child |
Anchorage |
175 |
111 |
64 |
63% |
64% |
71% |
48% |
Bethel |
681 |
117 |
564 |
17% |
3% |
40% |
11% |
Dillingham |
90 |
58 |
32 |
64% |
50% |
78% |
n/a |
Fairbanks |
134 |
115 |
19 |
86% |
85% |
100% |
n/a |
Kenai Pen. |
106 |
93 |
13 |
88% |
82% |
95% |
100% |
Kotzebue |
257 |
46 |
211 |
18% |
17% |
16% |
37% |
Su |
362 |
339 |
23 |
94% |
93% |
94% |
100% |
McGrath |
53 |
9 |
44 |
17% |
12% |
21% |
22% |
Nome |
187 |
154 |
33 |
82% |
74% |
94% |
100% |
Tanana |
164 |
71 |
93 |
43% |
47% |
33% |
0% |
|
2209 |
|
|
57% |
53% |
64% |
52% |
COMPARISON Communities — WINTER 2001 & 2006
|
HELMETS WORN 2001 |
HELMETS WORN 2006 |
CITY |
Observed |
Yes |
No |
%yes |
Observed |
Yes |
No |
%yes |
Anchorage |
194 |
178 |
16 |
92% |
537 |
450 |
87 |
84% |
Bethel |
424 |
54 |
370 |
13% |
681 |
117 |
564 |
17% |
Dillingham |
127 |
75 |
52 |
59% |
90 |
58 |
32 |
64% |
Fairbanks |
238 |
189 |
49 |
79% |
134 |
115 |
19 |
86% |
Kotzebue |
118 |
10 |
108 |
8% |
257 |
46 |
211 |
18% |
|
Ave. Total - Yes |
50% |
Ave. Total - Yes |
54% |
Helmets Worn — 2006 by gender
CITY |
Observed |
SEX |
Yes |
No |
%yes |
Anchorage |
150 |
M |
97 |
53 |
65% |
|
25 |
F |
14 |
11 |
56% |
Bethel |
520 |
M |
91 |
429 |
18% |
|
161 |
F |
26 |
135 |
16% |
Dillingham |
74 |
M |
47 |
27 |
64% |
|
16 |
F |
11 |
5 |
69% |
Fairbanks |
50 |
M |
37 |
13 |
74% |
|
27 |
F |
26 |
1 |
96% |
Kenai Pen. |
86 |
M |
74 |
12 |
86% |
|
18 |
F |
17 |
1 |
94% |
Kotzebue |
157 |
M |
26 |
131 |
17% |
|
90 |
F |
18 |
72 |
20% |
Matsu |
313 |
M |
290 |
23 |
93% |
|
49 |
F |
49 |
0 |
100% |
McGrath |
28 |
M |
8 |
20 |
29% |
|
25 |
F |
1 |
24 |
4% |
Nome |
151 |
M |
126 |
25 |
83% |
|
35 |
F |
27 |
8 |
77% |
Tanana |
115 |
M |
62 |
53 |
54% |
|
49 |
F |
9 |
40 |
18% |
|
1644 |
M |
|
|
58% |
|
495 |
F |
|
|
55% |
Helmets Worn — 2006 by Age Group
CITY |
Observed |
AGE |
Yes |
No |
%yes |
Anchorage |
119 |
Adult |
76 |
43 |
64% |
|
35 |
Teen |
25 |
10 |
71% |
|
21 |
Child |
10 |
11 |
48% |
Bethel |
383 |
Adult |
13 |
370 |
3% |
|
245 |
Teen |
98 |
147 |
40% |
|
53 |
Child |
6 |
47 |
11% |
Dillingham |
44 |
Adult |
22 |
22 |
50% |
|
46 |
Teen |
36 |
10 |
78% |
|
0 |
Child |
0 |
0 |
0% |
Fairbanks |
126 |
Adult |
107 |
19 |
85% |
|
8 |
Teen |
8 |
0 |
100% |
|
0 |
Child |
0 |
0 |
0% |
Kotzebue |
174 |
Adult |
29 |
145 |
17% |
|
64 |
Teen |
10 |
54 |
16% |
|
19 |
Child |
7 |
12 |
37% |
Kenai Pen. |
62 |
Adult |
51 |
11 |
82% |
|
39 |
Teen |
37 |
2 |
95% |
|
5 |
Child |
5 |
0 |
100% |
Matsu |
262 |
Adult |
244 |
18 |
93% |
|
83 |
Teen |
78 |
5 |
94% |
|
17 |
Child |
17 |
0 |
100% |
McGrath |
25 |
Adult |
3 |
22 |
12% |
|
19 |
Teen |
4 |
15 |
21% |
|
9 |
Child |
2 |
7 |
22% |
Nome |
112 |
Adult |
83 |
29 |
74% |
|
68 |
Teen |
64 |
4 |
94% |
|
7 |
Child |
7 |
0 |
100% |
Tanana |
128 |
Adult |
60 |
68 |
47% |
|
33 |
Teen |
11 |
22 |
33% |
|
3 |
Child |
0 |
3 |
0% |
Totals |
1435 |
Adult |
|
|
53% |
|
640 |
Teen |
|
|
64% |
|
134 |
Child |
|
|
52% |
Alaska residents, Age 5-18, ATV, 1997-2001
Crosstabs: resregion — by sex
Alaska Trauma Registry: injuries leading to hospitalization, emergency department death, or transferred out to another acute care hospital.
Number
|
Female
|
Male
|
Totals |
Aleutian-Pribilof |
0 |
2 |
2 |
Bristol Bay |
8 |
12 |
20 |
Copper River |
0 |
1 |
1 |
Fairbanks NSB |
4 |
9 |
13 |
Kenai Peninsula |
4 |
12 |
16 |
Kodiak |
3 |
12 |
15 |
Matanuska-Susitna |
10 |
25 |
35 |
Anchorage |
7 |
14 |
21 |
North Slope Borough |
6 |
10 |
16 |
Northwest Arctic |
6 |
14 |
20 |
Norton Sound |
11 |
15 |
26 |
PWS |
4 |
1 |
5 |
Rural Interior |
3 |
9 |
12 |
Southeast AK |
2 |
13 |
15 |
Yukon-Kuskokwim |
16 |
20 |
36 |
Totals |
84 |
169 |
253 |
|
33.2% |
66.8% |
100.0% |