1241 The Death of Lawrence of Arabia Leading to Helmet Laws

INTRODUCTION: Thomas Edward Lawrence, or “Lawrence of Arabia”, was a British intelligence officer who led Arab guerilla forces in a revolt against the Turks during World War I that was later fatally wounded in a motorcycle collision. Hugh Cairns, British neurosurgeon and student of Harvey Cushing who was brought in to Bovington Camp Military Hospital to try to save Lawrence of Arabia’s life, was devastated by the loss of the 46-year-old hero and frustrated by his inability to save Lawrence’s life. This led Cairns to improve a helmet design which was previously only used by racing motorcyclists and to mandate that all dispatch motorcyclists of the British Army wear it in 1941. METHODS: Literature review of Hugh Cairns’ work as a neurosurgeon in Oxford specifically pertaining to motorcycle helmet models. RESULTS: Hugh Cairns conducted a study which found that of 2,279 motorcyclists and passengers killed in the first 21 months of World War II, head injury was by far the most common cause of death. Additionally, of the seven cases where motorcyclists wore helmets, all survived. CONCLUSIONS: Moved by the death of Lawrence of Arabia, Hugh Cairns found through research that crash helmets served as life-saving tools for motorcyclists. Cairns was able to use his influence with the War Office and his research pertaining to helmet use to demonstrate the necessity of helmets to the Army hierarchy. By improving the design of motorcycle helmets and developing helmet laws for British Army riders, Cairns is credited with saving thousands of lives during WWII and should also be recognized as a key factor for global use of helmets today.