Culture shifts require more than stories — they require evidence. Here's the data that makes the case for helmet use on every campus, for every ride, every time.
Research
Because facts matter when you're trying to shift a culture. Here's the research that backs the movement.
Why the Numbers Matter
Culture shifts require more than stories — they require evidence. Here's the data that makes the case for helmet use on every campus, for every ride, every time.
E-Scooters & Campus Rides
ER visits from e-scooter accidents have increased over 200% since shared scooters launched on US campuses. Head injuries account for the largest share.
Students aged 18–24 are among the highest-risk groups for TBI from micromobility vehicles — and the least likely to wear helmets.
Studies show fewer than 5% of e-scooter riders wear helmets. On college campuses, that number is even lower — despite the highest concentration of riders.
E-scooters average 15mph. At that speed, an unprotected head hitting pavement generates forces equivalent to falling from a two-story building.
The Case for MIPS
Most people think of TBI as a direct-impact injury. But research shows that rotational acceleration — the spinning motion of the brain inside the skull after an angled impact — is the primary cause of concussions and serious brain injuries.
Standard helmets absorb linear force. MIPS-equipped helmets redirect rotational energy through a low-friction slip plane — reducing the rotational force transmitted to the brain by up to 40%.
Virginia Tech's independent helmet lab rates helmets on a 1–5 star scale. MIPS helmets consistently outperform non-MIPS models. Check ratings at: helmet.beam.vt.edu
Helmets reduce the risk of head injury by 51%, serious head injury by 69%, traumatic brain injury by 53%, and fatal head injury by 65%.
Helmet use in skiing increased from under 25% in the early 2000s to over 80% today — not through legislation, but through cultural normalization driven by peer influence and visibility.
Falls and being struck by/against objects are the leading causes of TBI. For young adults, transportation-related TBIs are rising — with micromobility as a growing contributor.
Knowledge is the first step. The Brain Freeze Challenge is the second. Take it, share it, and help us move the culture.