Adam+Greenfield

topic: motorcycle and bicycle helmet use laws > In 2002, 3,244 motorcyclists died and approximately 65,000 were injured in highway crashes in the United States Of the 4,955 motorcyclists who died in 2008, the NHTSA believes that 1,829 of those deaths could have been prevented by wearing a helmet. Some motorcyclists believe that helmets actually pose a safety risk. According to the Mesriani Law Group, the weight and shape of a helmet may contribute to a motorcyclist's breaking his neck during an accident. Helmet can do more than just protect your head in case of an accident. Some helmets come equipped with built-in speakers and communication devices. This allow you to listen to music while you ride or talk on your cell phone. As of 2010, 20 states and the District of Columbia require all motorcycle riders to wear a helmet, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Another 27 states require only certain riders, such as those under age 18, to wear a helmet. You do not have to wear a motorcycle helmet in Illinois, Iowa and New Hampshire. [|Pros & Cons of Wearing a Motorcycle Helmet | eHow.com] [|http://www.ehow.com/list_7331082_pros-cons-wearing-motorcycle-helmet.html#ixzz1qQfMWozP]
 * ** Laws requiring all motorcyclists to wear a helmet are in place in 20 states and the District of Columbia
 * Laws requiring only some motorcyclists to wear a helmet are in place in 27 states
 * There is no motorcycle helmet use law in 3 states (Illinois, Iowa, and New Hampshire)
 * Some bicyclists are required by law to wear a helmet in 21 states and the District of Columbia
 * There is no bicycle helmet use law in 29 states
 * No state has a universal bicycle helmet law

> Motorcyclist fatalities are rising fastest among motorcycle riders over age 40. In 2007 alone, fatalities increased by 7% > Helmets reduce the risk of death by 37% and are 67% effective in preventing brain injuries to motorcycle riders. > Surveys have shown that helmet use is essentially 100% in places with all-rider motorcycle helmet laws compared to 53% at locations with no helmet laws or with age-specific helmet laws. All-rider laws significantly increase helmet use because they are easy to enforce due to the rider's high visibility.
 * Motorcycles make up less than 2% of all registered vehicles and only 0.4% of all vehicle miles traveled, but motorcyclists account for over 9% of total traffic fatalities. (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, or NHTSA, 2005)
 * Fatalities among motorcycle riders have increased by more than 127% since 1997.
 * In 2006, 65% of fatally injured motorcycle riders were not wearing a helmet in states without all-rider helmet laws, compared with only 13% in states with all-rider helmet laws
 * Per vehicle miles traveled, motorcyclists are about 21 times as likely as passenger car occupants to die in a traffic crash and four times as likely to be injured.
 * In 2003, 36 percent of all motorcyclists involved in fatal crashes were speeding, approximately twice the rate for drivers of passenger cars or light trucks. The percentage of alcohol involvement was 40 percent higher for motorcyclists than for drivers of passenger vehicles.
 * Surveys have shown that helmet use is essentially 100% in places with all-rider motorcycle helmet laws compared to 34 to 54% at locations with no helmet laws or with age-specific helmet laws. All-rider laws significantly increase helmet use because they are easy to enforce due to the rider's high visibility.
 * NHTSA estimates that helmets saved the lives of 1,158 motorcyclists in 2003. If all motorcyclists had worn helmets, an additional 640 lives could have been saved.
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #330099; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">In 1997, Arkansas and Texas repealed all-rider helmet laws. As of May 1998, helmet use fell from 97% in both states to 52% in Arkansas and 66% in Texas. Motorcycle operator fatalities increased by 21% in Arkansas and 31% in Texas
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #330099; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">After passage of Maryland's all-rider motorcycle helmet law in 1992, motorcyclist deaths dropped dramatically - 20% in 1993 and 30% from 1993-1994.
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #4e4b3f; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-left;">As states repeal helmet laws, fewer riders are wearing helmets. Helmet use nationally has declined from 71 percent in 2000 to 63 percent in 2008.
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #424242; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: left;">Beginning in 1967, the federal government began encouraging states to pass motorcycle helmet laws by making a federal safety program and state highway construction funds contingent on states enacting those laws. Eight years later, forty-seven states had passed motorcycle helmet regulations.

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: #ffffff; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: #ffffff; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: #ffffff; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: #ffffff; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;">