Studies Highlight the Importance of Wearing Motorcycle Helmets

Two recent reports from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) (http://www.ntsb.gov/alerts/SA_012.pdf) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) (http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/Pubs/811049.PDF) highlight how important it is for motorcyclists to wear helmets and how it can help save lives. While the number of motorcyclists over the past few years has increased, fewer motorcyclists have died in motorcycle accidents, primarily because more motorcycle riders are wearing helmets.

Wearing Helmets Saves Lives and Reduces Injuries
In its November, 2008 report “Lives Saved in 2007 by Restraint Use and Minimum Drinking Age Laws,” the NHTSA reports that in 2003, motorcycle helmets saved 1,173 lives, and that number rose over 50 percent to 1,784 lives saved in 2007. In California alone, 266 lives were saved in 2007 because the motorcyclists were wearing helmets, and the NHTSA estimates that another 26 lives would have been saved had 100 percent of motorcyclists been wearing helmets. Therefore, even in a state such as California, which has a mandatory helmet law, lives are still being lost because some people ride their motorcycles without a helmet. Overall, the NHTSA estimates that another 800 lives could have been saved nationwide in 2007 if every motorcyclist had been wearing a helmet.

A September, 2008 NTSB Safety Alert discussing the recent rise in motorcycle deaths and injuries presented some sobering facts: between 1997 and 2007, the number of deaths from motorcycle accidents more than doubled, from 2,116 in 1997 to 5,154 in 2007. Between 2006 and 2007 alone, the number increased 6.6 percent. For injuries, the number increased a staggering 17 percent, from 88,000 in 2006 to 103,000 in 2007. The alert also confirms that head injuries are a leading cause of death in motorcycle accidents and that wearing a helmet can reduce the overall likelihood of death in an accident by up to 37 percent. Moreover, unhelmeted motorcyclists who are in an accident are three times more likely to sustain a brain injury than if they had worn a helmet.

Economic Benefits of Motorcyclists Wearing Helmets
In addition to saving lives and minimizing injuries, universal helmet use can also help save money. According to the NTSB alert, although only 36 percent of motorcycle accidents involved unhelmeted motorcyclists, they accounted for 70 percent of the total cost – or $12.2 billion – of all motorcycle accidents. Moreover, because of the severity of the injuries unhelmeted riders are more likely to sustain, the NTSB estimates that average cost of a motorcycle accident involving an unhelmeted rider is $310,000, or more than four times the average cost of an accident involving a helmeted rider.

All of this data means, of course, is that every motorcyclist should wear a helmet all the time. However, although California is one of the states that require motorcyclists to wear DOT-approved helmets, if you get into an accident and were not wearing a helmet, you might still be able to recover for medical expenses if the accident was not your fault. However, if wearing a helmet could have prevented or minimized your injuries, the amount of your recovery might be affected.

Thank you for reading my blog; I hope you found this information helpful. If you have a question or comment, please feel free to post it here, but keep in mind your response will not be confidential. If you have been injured or if a loved one has died in a motorcycle accident, seek experienced legal representation. Contact me for immediate help and assistance.