Statewide Helmet Legislation Aims to Reduce Fatalities from Accidents
In an effort to enhance road safety, requiring all motorcyclists to wear helmets is a measure that has been advocated for, much like the mandatory use of seatbelts in cars. However, despite the evident benefits, several states with high numbers of additional deaths, such as Texas, Florida, Illinois, Ohio, Indiana, South Carolina, and others, still permit unhelmeted riding.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) argues that implementing universal helmet laws across the nation could potentially save hundreds of lives each year. This assertion is backed by data from organizations like the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), which has found that universal helmet laws significantly reduce fatalities. Studies suggest that these laws decrease motorcyclist deaths by approximately 37% in states where they are implemented.
The funding restriction for helmet laws was lifted in 1976, leading to the weakening or repeal of such laws in many states. As a result, the cumulative fatalities that could have been prevented over the decades add up to an estimated range of 20,000 to 24,000 lives.
Currently, only 17 states and the District of Columbia have all-rider helmet laws in place. The first such laws were enacted in 1967, after the National Highway Safety Act made them a prerequisite for certain highway safety and construction funds. For instance, since 1992, when an all-rider helmet law was introduced in California, further excess deaths have been averted in that state, accounting for 11% of all motorcyclist fatalities over those years.
If the remaining states were to implement all-rider helmet laws, the death toll could be reduced by up to 10%. Requiring every rider to wear a helmet could have a dramatic and immediate effect on fatality rates, according to safety advocates.
In the most recent years for which statistics are available, over 6,000 motorcyclists were killed each year in 2021 and 2022. The number of lives lost as a result of laws that allow unhelmeted riding ranged from 182 in 1976 to 673 in 2021. California, with its large population and long riding season, had the largest number of lives lost due to unhelmeted riding - 2,536.
It's unconscionable that all-rider helmet laws are not yet universal, as stated by safety advocate Harkey. If the remaining states were to implement such laws, an estimated 22,058 motorcyclist lives could have been saved from 1976 to 2022. For those interested in precise and detailed numbers, agencies like the NHTSA publish annual reports on motorcycle safety that include these estimates.
- The science of road safety strongly supports the implementation of all-rider helmet laws across the nation, as evidenced by data from organizations like the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), which show a significant reduction in motorcyclist fatalities.
- The health-and-wellness industry could potentially benefit from the increased safety on roads that universal helmet laws might bring, as fewer motorcyclist deaths would lead to fewer families and communities being affected by tragedies.
- If the transportation sector, particularly motorcyclists, were to embrace the finance-related changes needed to fund and implement all-rider helmet laws, it could lead to a significant improvement in the fitness-and-exercise industry, as more motorcyclists would likely remain alive and active to partake in physical activities.
