Do Motorcycle Helmets Save Lives?

Wearing a motorcycle helmet decreases your chance of dying in a motorcycle accident by 37 percent, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Facts

Motorcycle helmets saved about 13,774 lives between 1984 and 2002, according to the NHTSA. If all riders and passengers had worn helmets, 9,508 deaths could have been prevented.

Myths

Wearing a motorcycle helmet does not impair your ability to hear traffic sounds or see adjacent vehicles, according to a 1994 study by the National Public Services Research Institute.

Laws

As of 2010, 20 states and the District of Columbia legally require that all motorcycle riders wear helmets. Twenty-seven states require some riders to wear helmets, usually riders 17 or younger. Iowa, Illinois and New Hampshire do not require any riders to wear helmets.

Considerations

Laws that require only minors to wear helmets are much more difficult to enforce since officials cannot easily see who is complying with the law.

References

• NHTSA: Motorcycle Helmet Use Laws
• Insurance Institute for Highway Safety: Current US Motorcycle and Bicycle Helmet Laws