Motorcycle helmet laws save lives: Study shows universal laws increase helmet use and reduce injury severity

Trauma center data reveals stark differences in outcomes between North Carolina and South Carolina motorcycle crash victims

American College of Surgeons

Facebook

XLinkedInWeChatBlueskyMessageWhatsAppEmail

Key Takeaways 

• Helmet laws work (when they’re universal): Motorcycle riders in North Carolina (with a universal helmet law) wore a helmet 94% of the time compared with 47% of riders in South Carolina (partial law).  

• Helmets mean less severe injuries: Motorcyclists who wore helmets were less likely to die or require intensive care after an accident. 

• Lost progress: Helmet laws have been rolled back in many states resulting in only 19 states now having universal helmet laws. 

CHICAGO — New research using a decade of data shows the lifesaving impact of universal motorcycle helmet laws. Researchers from the Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte, North Carolina — an American College of Surgeons (ACS)-verified Level I trauma center — compared outcomes for motorcycle crash victims from North Carolina, where helmets are mandatory for all riders, and South Carolina, where only riders under 21 must wear them. The findings are published in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons (JACS).

Key Findings:

• Helmet use was 94% in North Carolina vs. 47% in South Carolina during the study period. 

• Helmeted patients had less severe injuries, with lower Injury Severity Scores (13.6 vs. 16.0). 

• Riders without helmets were more likely to require care in the intensive care unit (ICU) (39% vs. 25%) after an accident. 

• Patients who were not wearing a helmet during a crash were uninsured more often, shifting costs to taxpayers. 

“The two states’ differing laws created a natural experiment,” said senior author A. Britton Christmas, MD, MBA, FACS, medical director of trauma at Carolinas Medical Center. “The results are clear: helmets save lives, and universal laws ensure they’re used.”

States are Scaling Back Universal Helmet Laws

Despite evidence, only 19 states have universal helmet laws — a sharp decline from 47 states 50 years ago. Efforts from motorcycle groups have driven these repeals, even as trauma surgeons emphasize the consequences.

“I’ve testified against repeals in North Carolina because the data doesn’t lie,” said Dr. Christmas. “When helmets aren’t required, fewer people wear them, and more die or face life-altering injuries.” 

These different laws impacted helmet usage in patients. Only 47% of patients with a home state of South Carolina were wearing a helmet at the time of injury, as compared to 94.2% of patients from North Carolina.

The Human Toll of No Helmets

The study also found: 

• Patients who weren’t wearing a helmet required longer ICU stays and more ventilator support. 

• South Carolina’s under-21 helmet law had low compliance: 33% of young riders were not wearing a helmet during crashes, compared to only 10% in North Carolina. 

“Universal laws normalize helmet use,” said lead author Stephanie Jensen, MD, MPH. “When young riders see adults without helmets, they question their necessity, and the results are tragic.”

Surgeons as Advocates

The authors urge surgeons and physicians to advocate for helmet laws, citing their unique credibility. “Policymakers need to hear from those who treat these injuries,” said Dr. Jensen. “This isn’t about limiting freedom, it’s about preventing families from losing loved ones.”

The authors noted a limitation of the study is that the data excludes riders who died at the scene or had minor injuries not requiring trauma care.

Study coauthors with Drs. Jensen and Christmas are Ansley B. Ricker, MD; Ronald F. Sing, DO, FACS; Samuel W. Ross, MD, MPH, FACS; Kyle W. Cunningham, MD, MPH, FACS.

# # #

About the American College of Surgeons   
The American College of Surgeons (ACS) is a scientific and educational organization of surgeons that was founded in 1913 to raise the standards of surgical practice and improve the quality of care for all surgical patients. The ACS is dedicated to the ethical and competent practice of surgery. Its achievements have significantly influenced the course of scientific surgery in America and have established it as an important advocate for all surgical patients. The ACS has approximately 90,000 members and is the largest organization of surgeons in the world. “FACS” designates that a surgeon is a Fellow of the ACS.  

Follow the ACS on social media: X | Instagram | YouTube | LinkedIn | Facebook 

---

Journal

Journal of the American College of Surgeons

DOI

10.1097/XCS.0000000000001400 

Method of Research

Observational study

Subject of Research

People

Article Title

Examining Geographic Disparity: State Helmet Laws Greatly Increase the Use of Helmets and Protect Motorcycle Crash Victims

Article Publication Date

22-May-2025

COI Statement

Kyle Cunningham, Atricure; Sam Ross, Atricure, Ethicon; Ronald Sing, Vioptix, Ethicon; A. Britton Christmas, Teleflex LLC

 

Seven more years of funding for Konstanz Cluster of Excellence "The Politics of Inequality"

University of Konstanz

Facebook

XMessageWhatsAppEmail

The Cluster of Excellence "The Politics of Inequality" at the University of Konstanz will continue to receive funding through the German Excellence Strategy for another seven years. The German Research Foundation (DFG) and the German Council of Science and Humanities (WR) made the announcement on 22 May 2025. The Cluster of Excellence applied for around 52 million euros in funding. Clusters of Excellence are large, transdisciplinary research networks that study relevant research topics at the highest level internationally; they are one of the funding lines of the Excellence Strategy.

"Our Cluster of Excellence 'The Politics of Inequality' studies one of the most urgent topics of our times: the political causes and consequences of growing inequality in our society," explains Katharina Holzinger, rector of the University of Konstanz. "I am extremely pleased that our Cluster of Excellence can expand upon its outstanding research during the next funding period. On behalf of our entire university, I congratulate everyone who contributed to this achievement and thank them for their exceptional work."

Understanding inequality
The Cluster of Excellence "The Politics of Inequality" studies the political causes and consequences of inequality – in Germany and worldwide, in democracies as well as in autocracies. The focus is on the question of how inequality is perceived in society, how this is related to political participation and how this interplay ultimately influences political decision-making processes. In their work, the cluster's researchers combine perspectives from different disciplines, including political science, sociology, economics and linguistics.

"In our second funding phase, we will increasingly concentrate on the question of how it can be prevented that inequality in society develops into a self-reinforcing process. To what extent do our assumptions about the causes of inequality shape the way we deal with it? What role does inequality play in the global resurgence of social protest movements? How can political decisions reduce structural inequalities instead of reinforcing them?" This is how the speakers of the Cluster of Excellence, Marius R. Busemeyer, Claudia Diehl and Gabriele Spilker, summarize the cluster's central goals.

Social responsibility also plays a vital role in the cluster's work. Many of its members use their expertise to advise policymakers and the public. At regular intervals, the cluster conducts the Konstanz Inequality Barometer, a representative study on perceptions of inequality in Germany, which is to be extended to other countries in the future – especially in the Global South. In all of these countries, the cluster will establish an Inequality Discourse Observatory to conduct computational data analyses of the public and political inequality discourse at the level of the media and decision-makers.

Rejoicing and disappointment
"Our joy at hearing about the success of our cluster is, unfortunately, mixed with sadness at our university: Only one of our Clusters of Excellence will continue to receive funding," Katharina Holzinger explains. Funding will not continue for the Konstanz Cluster of Excellence "Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour" (CASCB), that studies the rules of the swarm – from huge animal collectives and human group dynamics to autonomous robot swarms. For years, the cluster’s research findings on collective behaviour have been among the most cited publications in their field worldwide. With the cluster, Konstanz has become an internationally leading hotspot for the study of collectives.

"It is really disappointing for us that a so successful and flourishing research network will not receive further funding," Holzinger explains and adds: "Not only will the university need to restructure its research priority 'Collective Behaviour', but this result also means that we do not meet the requirement of having at least two Clusters of Excellence in order to continue to receive funding through the Universities of Excellence programme."

The Universities of Excellence funding line
Since 2007, the University of Konstanz has received funding as a University of Excellence. After almost two decades of continuous success in every funding line, Konstanz ranks among the top competitors, both in the German Excellence Initiative as well as the follow-up programme, the Excellence Strategy. In 2007, Konstanz was the smallest university to achieve University of Excellence status, standing on equal footing with significantly larger and older institutions. Yet, it is much harder for small universities to continuously sustain two Clusters of Excellence.

"We do not have any extra Clusters of Excellence lined up. Losing one of our clusters thus has drastic consequences for the entire university, since this means we are out of the running for 'University of Excellence' status in the next funding period," Katharina Holzinger says and concludes: "We are very grateful for almost two decades as a University of Excellence. During this period, we were able to thoroughly reposition Konstanz as a research location. Now, we are faced with the mammoth task of upholding the structures established over these years as well as possible, but without continued funding."

Key facts:

• The Cluster of Excellence "The Politics of Inequality" at the University of Konstanz will receive funding for another seven years (from 1 January 2026 to 31 December 2032).
• Requested funding: around 52 million euros in total
• The Konstanz Cluster of Excellence "Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour" will not receive additional funding.

 

Researchers show social connection is still underappreciated as a medically relevant health factor

Despite mounting evidence that social connection is vital to physical health, new BYU research shows most people, including doctors, still underestimate its importance

Brigham Young University

Facebook

XLinkedInWeChatBlueskyMessageWhatsAppEmail

 

image: 

New BYU study reveals that both the public and healthcare providers often overlook social connection as a key factor in physical health, even though loneliness rivals smoking and obesity in health risks.

view more 

Credit: Jaren Wilkey

Research confirms that social isolation and loneliness significantly impact health and mortality, even if not listed on death certificates. BYU psychology and neuroscience professor, Julianne Holt-Lunstad, has published extensively on the topic, including a landmark 2010 meta-analysis and a 2023 framework on assessment and treatment. She also served as lead scientist on the 2023 Surgeon General Advisory and is advising the World Health Organization on an upcoming report that addresses the pressing health threat of loneliness and isolation and a global agenda on social connection.

Social connection is now a legitimate health factor, but Holt-Lunstad and doctoral student, Andrew Proctor, recently published two studies showing that most of us—the general population and medical providers—still don’t think social connection affects physical health. And even the professionals who recognize the importance report that they don’t have time or tools to help patients address social concerns.

Proctor, who authored a study recently published in Springer Nature, explained that before the study, they had been watching how the pandemic was influencing internet searches around the topics of isolation and loneliness.

“I have a marketing background, so I thought that maybe the public perception had changed since COVID. Social distancing, isolation and loneliness were huge buzzwords on the internet as seen through Google Trends and BuzzSumo (an online trend analyzer). Everything around these search terms was super viral during that time, and so we wondered if perceptions about social connection had changed,” said Proctor.

With loneliness and isolation trending on the internet, the researchers set up a study. In a nationally representative sample of US adults, as well as samples from the UK and Australia, they surveyed 2,392 people about their perceptions of health risks associated with isolation and loneliness. The data showed that, despite the pandemic and other campaigns, people still underestimate the importance of social connection for physical health. And the underestimation exists equally among the lonely and the socially connected.

“The study identified blind spots in medical care,” said Proctor. “Social connection is like a vital sign. What if we didn’t care about high blood pressure? Or what if we never knew smoking was bad for us? Social connection is like a key vital sign. We just don’t tend to recognize it.”

In a closely connected study, Holt-Lunstad and Proctor, along with coauthors from top research medical centers, surveyed 681 healthcare providers (primarily doctors) about perceptions of health risks associated with poor social connection. Similar to the general population from the first study, healthcare providers underestimated social connection as a medically relevant health factor.

The researchers gleaned some unexpected insights due to an unintentional time lag in data collection in the second study.

“We completed the data collection at two different time points because we were waiting for institutional approvals. Our first cohort was healthcare providers through the University of Utah Health System. Slightly later, we had a second major cohort of University of California San Francisco (UCSF) physicians,” said Holt-Lunstad. “What was interesting is that the perceived importance of social factors was a bit higher among the UCSF group.”

The authors attribute the higher awareness at UCSF to the University’s Social Interventions Research and Evaluation Network as well as the publication of the 2023 Surgeon General’s Advisory, which came out just before the second cohort was surveyed. This suggests that social initiatives as well as institutional support make a difference in the perceived importance of social connection.

“What I hope is that these studies can spur recognition that there is a body of evidence showing social connection as medically relevant,” said Holt-Lunstad. “Together these papers make a really compelling case that not only does the general public underestimate this, but so do healthcare providers who should know this information.”

“Awareness can make a difference,” says Holt-Lunstad. “It’s the first step, but awareness isn’t enough.”

The research brings to light the need for education and strategies for healthcare providers as well as the need for a revised K-12 healthcare curriculum and public health campaigns. Future research includes how to address perceived barriers to integrated medical treatment and actionable strategies such as “social prescribing.”

---

Journal

Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences

DOI

10.1111/nyas.15295 

Method of Research

Survey

Subject of Research

People

Article Title

Healthcare providers’ perceived importance and barriers to addressing social connection in medical settings

 

Two-step method to prevent biofilm regrowth is a SLAM dunk

Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Facebook

XLinkedInWeChatBlueskyMessageWhatsAppEmail

 

image: 

3D renderings of Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms show that treatment with SLAM particles can disrupt the bacterial biofilm and prevent regrowth.

view more 

Credit: Joon Kong, Yu-Heng Deng, Joohun Lee

Most people have encountered the black, grey, or pink stains of bacterial biofilms built up on the bathroom tiles or kitchen sink. Even with vigorous scrubbing and strong cleaning chemicals, this grime can be difficult to remove and often returns with vengeance. A new study, published in Chemical Engineering Journal, reports a novel, two-step method to effectively dismantle bacterial biofilms and prevent regrowth.

“Biofilms are everywhere, from bathrooms to food factories,” said Hyunjoon Kong (M-CELS leader/EIRH/RBTE), a professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering. “Biofilms are also responsible for cross contamination between patients at hospitals, and they can be found on medical instruments like tooth or bone implants.”

Bacterial infections are often thought to be caused by individual, free floating cells; in reality, bacteria form complex communities, supported by an external 3D matrix that provides structural scaffolding and defense mechanisms to protect the colony. 

Compared to isolated bacterial cells, biofilms demonstrate increased resistance to antimicrobials, including antibiotics and chemical disinfectants like bleach. Often, only cells on the outer layers of the biofilm are killed by these antimicrobials, while bacteria embedded deep in the 3D matrix are protected and survive. 

“In order to effectively kill bacteria in the biofilms, we have to figure out how to weaken the interaction between the cells and matrix,” Kong said.

Led by first authors of the publication Yu-Heng Deng and Joohun Lee, former and current graduate students in Kong’s research group respectively, the team began to investigate this by treating Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms with chemical disinfectants that can kill bacterial cells. The biofilms were either treated with no disinfectant, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), or a mixture of H2O2 and peroxyacetic acid (PAA). They then counted the number of colony-forming bacteria present immediately after treatment and 24 hours later.

Their results demonstrated that most of the P. aeruginosa cells were killed by the chemical treatments, but by the next day both had regrown biofilms.

Kong said, “We thought that maybe these chemicals kill the cells but don’t effectively damage the matrix. The cells that managed to stay alive during the treatment may use the matrix to help regrow the biofilm.”

Using an advanced software to process immunostained microscope images, Kong’s group constructed 3D renderings of the biofilms to evaluate the interactions between the bacterial cells and their surrounding matrix. Specifically, they compared the spatial distribution of the extracellular polymeric substances (EPS)—structural components of the matrix—and determined the area and mass of EPS associated with residual bacteria. Their analyses showed that while the chemicals removed more than 50 % of the entire biofilm, including both cells and EPS, a large portion of the matrix was left behind, as suspected. 

“On top of this, we also found that the cells are associating this matrix more strongly. These chemicals tend to condense the matrix, which provides a better environment for the cells to survive,” Kong said. “So how can we develop a method that prevents biofilm regrowth?” 

The researchers took advantage of self-locomotive antibacterial microbubblers, or SLAM, previously developed by the Kong group to disrupt and displace the EPS of biofilm. When activated with H2O2, the SLAM particles generate oxygen bubbles which expand and rupture in the biofilm, leading to mechanical disruption. They hypothesized that a combined approach using SLAM particles to weaken the cell to matrix interactions followed by a mixture of H2O2 and PAA could effectively prevent regrowth.

“The SLAM particles remove more than 95 % of the matrix and cells. However, the biofilm regrows because 5 % are left, with some remaining matrix. So, the mixture of H2O2 and PAA can be applied as a final step to remove residual cells,” Kong said. 

24 hours after sequential treatment, there was no observable P. aeruginosa regrowth, and biofilm resurgence was further prevented for over two months. Moving forward, Kong looks to translate this new technology for real world applications. Currently, his group is working on adapting the method for disinfecting dental implants. They are also developing low-cost strategies to manufacture SLAM particles on a larger scale.

But overall, Kong believes there is still more work to be done. 

“We still don’t have a full understanding about the emergent behaviors of biofilms. If we gain more information, such as the chemical and mechanical properties of the matrix, or mechanisms of biofilm resistance to antibiotics, we can learn to better fight these infections.”

The publication, “Biofilm comes back: Controlling regrowth by mitigating the cell-matrix interaction” can be found at https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cej.2025.160947

---

Journal

Chemical Engineering Journal

DOI

10.1016/j.cej.2025.160947 

Article Title

Biofilm comes back: Controlling regrowth by mitigating the cell-matrix interaction

 

Can we mine enough copper to develop the world?

University of Michigan

Facebook

Bluesky
Email

 

The world can mine copper to fuel the green energy transition or it can mine copper to build the infrastructure of developing countries—but it will be extraordinarily difficult to do both, according to a University of Michigan study.

 

The research, co-led by Adam Simon, U-M professor of earth and environmental sciences, found that the copper needed even just to sustain typical economic and population growth far exceeds the amount of copper currently mined. 

 

The researchers, who published their results in SEG Discovery, also suggest copper needs to more than double in price to motivate companies to develop new mines.

 

Cascades of copper

 

The researchers, who include Lawrence Cathles of Cornell University and Daniel Wood of the University of Queensland, Australia, modeled how much copper is necessary to carry on "business as usual" population growth and standard of living increases. 

 

They also determined the amount of copper necessary for several different green energy scenarios. These include the transition to an all-electric vehicle fleet and the necessary grid upgrades to support it; replacing fossil fuels with wind and solar energy production; and using wind and solar energy production that relies on battery systems as energy storage.

 

For business-as-usual, about 1,100 million metric tons (a metric ton is 2,204.62 pounds) of copper needs to be mined by 2050. Transitioning to an EV fleet and associated grid upgrades requires 1,248 million metric tons of copper. Deriving power from wind and solar requires 2,304 million metric tons of copper. Building a power grid that relies on batteries for energy storage requires 3 billion metric tons of copper. 

 

For comparison, companies mined about 23 million metric tons of copper in 2024.

 

At the same time, the researchers say, we can't ignore the need for building infrastructure in places like India and Africa. India will require 227 million metric tons of power to build and modernize its infrastructure, while building infrastructure across all 54 countries in Africa will require about one billion metric tons of copper.

 

"The world needs more and more and more copper for business-as-usual economic development, and that creates tension. We suggest that the demand for copper for economic development, which is in essence global human development, should take priority over various electrification scenarios," Simon said. "If it comes down to a competition between 'Are you going to build health care in Africa or are more people going to drive a Tesla?' I would vote for health care in Africa."

 

An infrastructure of copper

 

Copper is key not only in achieving sustainability goals and electricity production and infrastructure, it's also essential for clean water distribution, sanitation systems, education and health care facilities, and telecommunications networks. The amount of copper in a country's infrastructure is a proxy not only for the level of the country's human development, but also the life expectancy, education level and economic prosperity for people who live there.

 

Simon and his co-authors say that more mines must come online each year to keep up with copper demand. Mining enough copper to sustain "business as usual" growth would require 78 new copper mines between now and 2050 that would produce 500,000 metric tons of copper per year.

 

"In the United States, from 1900 to 2000—100 years of development of the United States—we went from no plumbing to plumbing, from no electricity to electricity. Right now, for every man, woman and child in the United States, we've got more than 400 pounds of copper behind the wall," Simon said. "If we look at that number globally, in places like India, it's probably at best 40 pounds of copper."

 

The copper strategy

 

The researchers also modeled ways copper could be used strategically in different electrification scenarios. For example, if we generate electricity through a mix of nuclear, wind and solar, and use natural gas as a backup for generating electricity rather than battery storage for energy use, we would need far less copper. Similarly, a lot less copper is required for the use of hybrid vehicles rather than fully electric vehicles.

 

To incentivize mining companies to invest in developing copper mines, the researchers say copper needs to cost about twice as much as it currently does—its cost should exceed about $20,000 per metric ton. It currently costs about $9,000 per metric ton.

 

The researchers also point out that recycling copper has grown over the past several years. The amount of copper recycling has contributed has grown at 0.53% per year. If this grows at the same rate until 2050, recycling will contribute about 13.5 million metric tons of copper in 2050, a little more than a third of what is required to meet business-as-usual demands.

 

The researchers made an Excel spreadsheet available that allows users to dig into the study data.

 

"First of all, users can fact check the study, but also they can change the study parameters and evaluate how much copper is required if we have an electric grid that is 20% nuclear, 40% methane, 20% wind and 20% hydroelectric, for example," Simon said. "They can make those changes and see what the copper demand will be."

 

Study: Copper: Mining, Development, and Electrification (DOI: 10.5382/SEGnews.2025-141.fea-01)

---

Journal

SEG Discovery

DOI

10.5382/SEGnews.2025-141.fea-01 

Tapping into the World’s largest gold reserves

Ultra-high precision analyses of volcanic rocks show Earth’s core is leaking into rocks above

University of Göttingen

Facebook

Bluesky
Email

 

image: 

Researchers from Göttingen found tiny traces of the precious metal Ruthenium with an anomalous isotopic composition in lavas from Hawaii. The new findings prove that the Earth’s core is leaking metallic material, including gold and other precious metals.

view more 

Credit: United States Geological Survey (M. Patrick)

Earth’s largest gold reserves are not kept inside Fort Knox, the United States Bullion Depository. In fact, they are hidden much deeper in the ground than one would expect. More than 99.999% of Earth’s stores of gold and other precious metals lie buried under 3,000 km of solid rock, locked away within the Earth’s metallic core and far beyond the reaches of humankind. Now, researchers from the University of Göttingen have found traces of the precious metal Ruthenium (Ru) in volcanic rocks on the islands of Hawaii that must ultimately have come from the Earth’s core. The findings were published in Nature.

 

Compared to the Earth’s rocky mantle, the metallic core contains a slightly higher abundance of a particular Ru isotope: 100Ru. This is because part of the Ru, which was locked in the Earth’s core together with gold and other precious metals when it formed 4.5 billion years ago, came from a different source than the scarce amount of Ru that is contained in the mantle today. These differences in 100Ru are so tiny that it was impossible to detect them in the past. Now, new procedures developed by researchers at the University of Göttingen made it possible to resolve them. The unusually high 100Ru signal they found in lavas on the Earth’s surface can only mean that these rocks ultimately originated from the core-mantle boundary.

 

Dr Nils Messling, at Göttingen University’s Department of Geochemistry, explains: “When the first results came in, we realised that we had literally struck gold! Our data confirmed that material from the core, including gold and other precious metals, is leaking into the Earth’s mantle above.”  

 

Professor Matthias Willbold, at the same department, adds: “Our findings not only show that the Earth’s core is not as isolated as previously assumed. We can now also prove that huge volumes of super-heated mantle material – several hundreds of quadrillion metric tonnes of rock – originate at the core-mantle boundary and rise to the Earth’s surface to form ocean islands like Hawaii.”

 

This means that at least some of the precarious supplies of gold and other precious metals that we rely on for their value and importance in so many sectors such as renewable energy, may have come from the Earth’s core. Messling concludes: “Whether these processes that we observe today have also been operating in the past remains to be proven. Our findings open up an entirely new perspective on the evolution of the inner dynamics of our home planet.”

 

Original publication: Messling N et al. “Ru and W isotope systematics in ocean island basalts reveals core leakage”, Nature 2025. DOI: 10.1038/s41586-025-09003-0.

---

Journal

Nature

DOI

10.1038/s41586-025-09003-0 

Method of Research

Experimental study

Subject of Research

Not applicable

Article Title

u and W isotope systematics in ocean island basalts reveals core leakage

Article Publication Date

21-May-2025