Helmet Law Safety

Using a helmet when riding a motorcycle is a safety tool, but just how safe does it keep you during an accident?

I know this can be a very controversial subject, mandatory helmet laws. It turns out that not only helmets, but helmet laws keep motorcycle riders safe, and probably a lot safer than most of us thought.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, The CDC, just came out with some information about how useful these laws are at keeping motorcycle riders safe. They looked at states with and without mandatory motorcycle helmet laws during the years 2008 through 2010. They found that in states with less restrictive laws, there were around 5 times more deaths in riders without helmets thatn in states with more restrictive laws. And they also point out that having a helmet law also saved the states money because it reduced the amount of crash related injuries and deaths.

Now will a motorcycle helmet protect a rider from everything, of course not. But the CDC points out that helmets did prevent 37% of crash deaths in riders and 41% in passengers from 2008 to 2010. And although motorcycles only account for 3% of the registered vehicles on the road, they also make up 14% of traffic deaths.

Motorcycles can be fun to ride, and wearing a helmet shouldn't take away from the fun, but should help protect a rider from hazards while out on the road.