Apparently helmets can prevent broken wrists

The "safety freaks" never cease to amaze me. Can anyone explain how a helmet could have been the solution here?

Paramedics ask skaters to wear helmets on canal
The Ottawa Citizen January 4, 2009
OTTAWA-A busy Saturday afternoon on the Rideau Canal has prompted Ottawa paramedics to urge skaters to wear hockey or ski helmets. Between 2 p.m. and 5 p.m., three women, ages 66, 26, and 36, were taken to hospital; two with broken wrists and one with a back injury. Two other people were treated on the canal for minor injuries due to a fall and from intense cold.

Pretty soon we'll need a helmet to walk out the door in the morning.