Page 30 - Shining On Newsletter - Autumn 2022

Cairns was ready with his first research paper. In October 1941, and by now the consulting
neurosurgeon to the Army, he published his initial results in the British Medical Journal. The article was
entitled “Head Injuries in Motorcyclists – the importance of the crash helmet”. The Army, at that point
losing on average two motorcycle riders a week in accidents (mostly unhelmeted) was convinced. In
November 1941 it ordered all despatch riders to wear helmets. By 1943 Cairns was able to show, in
another BMJ paper, that a good helmet could reduce skull fractures in bikers who suffered head injuries
by 75%. Three years later, Cairns had gathered further evidence. His 1946 study in the BMJ showed that
total motorcycle deaths had fallen from a peak of nearly 200 just before the Army introduced helmets to
around 50 pa by the end of the war.

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This newsletter has been distributed electronically and can be viewed online or downloaded as you
prefer. Don’t print it unless you need to though (have you seen the price of ink)! Feel free to share it,
indeed please do tell all your friends about the club.
If you’re feeling the urge to write please do. Include photographs/images too, ideally of your own making,
and beware copyright (and decency) issues! I’m also interested to hear criticisms good and bad, and I’m
always on the lookout for new ideas. I do reserve the right to shorten articles when necessary, and being
a bit OCD I might correct spelling and grammar too. Says the man who failed his English O level!

Whether you’re notifying me of an upcoming meeting or sending me a ride report, be sure to say
precisely who organised it, when, and where. Always post these to the Forum as a priority, optionally on
Facebook as backup – this newsletter will only come out quarterly so if sending to me too then to be of
use I need you to think at least 3 months ahead please.

Email all contributions to me at barrycroft@yahoo.co.uk. The deadline for submissions for the Autumn
issue is 30th November 2022 (thanks, Ba)

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