Wearing Helmets Saves Motorcyclists' Lives
Usage Also Cuts Down on Severe Head Injuries, Saves Money
Sep 9, 2009
Of 2007’s 5,154 fatalities in motorcycle accidents, 41 percent of the deaths occurred in unhelmeted riders and passengers, the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration said in a 2007 traffic safety report on motorcycles.
The agency noted that 800 of the people killed could have been saved if they had been wearing helmets. Of the 103,000 people injured in motorcycle accidents in 2007, more than 1,700 were saved because they were wearing helmets.
Head Injuries Leading Cause of Death
Head injury is the leading cause of death of motorcycle riders and passengers, the agency said, It added unhelmeted riders have a 40 percent higher chance of sustaining a fatal head injury than helmeted riders. Some 15 percent of unhelmeted riders are more likely to have a nonfatal head injury than helmeted riders, the report said.
The federal agency estimated that between 1984 and 2006, more than 19,000 people were saved because they were wearing helmets.
There were more than 6.6 million motorcycles registered in the United States in 2006. Riders traveled more than 12 billion miles, with a fatality rate of 39 people per 100 million miles traveled, NHTSA said.
Only 20 States Have Universal Helmet Law
Only 20 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico have universal helmet laws, which require riders and passengers of all ages to wear helmets. States which have universal helmet laws are Alabama, California, Georgia, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, Washington and West Virginia.
Another 27 states have laws which require people under a certain age, usually 18, and certain other riders, such as learners, to wear helmets. Illinois, Iowa and New Hampshire do not require helmets for anyone, according to the agency’s 2008 helmet safety law report.
NHTSA Says Deaths Decrease When Helmet Usage Increases
NHTSA noted that motorcycle deaths decreased after states adopted universal helmet laws and increased in states which loosened its laws. The agency is recommending that all states adopt universal helmet laws.
Motorcyclists have a higher fatality rate per mile traveled than do passenger vehicles, the agency said. “Per vehicle mile traveled, motorcyclists are about 35 times more likely than passenger car occupants to die in a motor vehicle traffic crash and 8 times more likely to be injured.”
Half of Accidents Involve Another Vehicle
About half of 2007 fatal motorcycle accidents involved another motor vehicle, the agency said. These accidents occurred when the other vehicle was making a left turn and the motorcyclist was going straight, passing or overtaking the vehicle.
Alcohol impairment was involved in about half of the fatal accidents, the agency said.
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