Why Experts say Motorcycle Helmets Save Lives
Motorcycleregistrationsin the United States increased from 4.4 million in 2000 to 7.3 million in 2009, over a 60% increase of riders on the road. Unfortunately motorcycle fatalities have followed this statistical curve. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) takes a while to sift through the data and come to any conclusions. Therefore, while it is known that registrations and fatalities are up, the most current data analysis was completed for 2008. Thedatashows an alarming 34,000 motorcycle deaths and over 1.2 million injuries during the period of 2001 through 2008.
While the highest injury rate is among the younger bikers, the rate of fatal injury remains quite high among older riders. Older riders get in fewer accidents but do not heal as well when misfortune catches them.
Additional data fromMorotcycleAcciden.orgstates that a motorcyclist who crashes while not wearing a helmet is 40% more likely to die from a head injury. In a low speed accident, when the rider’s foot slips when he comes to a stop and he falls, for example, a non-helmeted rider is 15% more likely to suffer a non-fatal injury.
The facts are there for all to see. The rider can play “macho” and ride without a helmet in states that permit that, but common sense says this is foolish bravado. A good helmet can save your life but it serves other purposes as well. Stones or insects can be painful at 70 MPH, especially if they impact the facial areas. A good face shield protects against those projectiles and many helmets offer an internal sun shield that can be pulled down to protect the eyes from the sun.
The “bane” of the motorcyclist is the “left turner”. The automobile driver traveling in the opposite direction who turns left into the path of the motorcycle causing what is often a fatal accident for the biker. But just under half of the motorcycle fatalities involved no other vehicle! The motorcyclist simply lost control and crashed, most often due to a failure to complete a turn in the road. What is even more disturbing is, in many cases, analysis of the accident indicates that the motorcycle wascapable of successfully negotiating the turn, the rider was not.
Billy BMW is cruising down Main St. He is fully dressed out in leather jacket, leather chaps, high boots, gloves and a full face helmet. Suddenly a car approaching from the opposite direction turns left right into Billy’s path. Unable to come to a complete stop he hits the car and is launched into the side of the car and then the ground. Billy sustains a broken arm and thousands of dollars damage to his BMW. But his helmet and leathers did their job so he suffered no head injury or “road rash”. Three months later he is back on the street on a new BMW.
Tommy Triumph is enjoying a ride in the country on a winding two lane road. The pavement is smooth and in good condition, the scenery beautiful with trees on both sides of the road. Tommy is wearing boots, jeans, a light jacket and a ¾ helmet with face shield. Tommy has been riding for a couple of months on this older model Triumph 650. Suddenly he realizes that the left turn he is negotiating has a tightening radius and he is going a bit fast for it. He panics and stares at the edge of the road as he edges towards it. He goes off the edge into the grass, the motorcycle goes down on its left side and he and the bike slide into the trees. His jeans and jacket offer little protection so Tommy suffers some “road rash”. Impacting a tree he suffers a broken leg and a couple of other fractures. His helmet has preserved his good looks and his cranium. As his wounds heal Tommy decides to abandon motorcycling. ASafety Foundationtraining class would have helped him avoid this wreck, but his helmet did its job so he can try other hobbies.
Herb Honda is riding a Honda VTX1300, one of Honda’s large cruiser motorcycles. Herb has been riding for many years and has chosen to wear a ½ helmet, aviator goggles, a t-shirt and jeans with high-top boots. He pulls up to a stop at a red light. There are cars in the left turn lane and cars in the right lane. Behind him is a lady in an SUV chatting on the cell phone. The green arrow comes on for the left turning cars. The lady in the SUV, sensing motion on her left, thinks the light has turned green and starts forward, striking Herb on his stationary Honda. Surprised by being hit Herb is thrown to the ground and the Honda falls on top of him. His head strikes the pavement and the bike traps his right leg at an unnatural angle, fracturing his ankle. His ½ helmet protects his head somewhat, but his face has no protection and he sustains a fractured cheek bone. He sustains a mild concussion and has double vision for a couple of weeks. He will be riding again in a few months but his ankle never seems to be the same and he ultimately switches to a trike.
Buddy Badboy is riding his Harley Sportster without helmet, profiling. Because the state where he is riding doesn't require a helmet he is free to do as he pleases. He is wearing a sleeveless shirt and leather vest, jeans and running shoes. Buddy is “bar hopping” and, after a couple of beers, is on his way to the next “watering hole”. His reactions and judgment are not 100% and when the car in front of him decides to stop and not rush through a yellow light Buddy cannot stop. He crashes into the back of the car and bounces onto the pavement. With brakes applied Buddy struck the car at less than 20 MPH but the resulting head injury is a fractured skull and brain damage. Buddy is rushed to the hospital and survives, but he has to re-learn how to speak, feed himself and tie his shoes. Buddy never rides again but his friends conduct an annual “poker run” to develop some cash to help him out.
Motorcycle helmets come in various price ranges and designs. A full face helmet protects the rider’s entire head including his face and chin. A ¾ helmet is similar to the full face helmet without protection for the face and chin. Some ¾ helmets will have a face shield while some riders will use glasses or goggles for eye protection. A ½ helmet is like a “watch cap”, covering the top of the rider’s head. There is no ear protection and the rider must wear glasses or goggles for eye protection. States that require helmets require that they be approved by the Department of Transportation (DOT) and have the DOT sticker prominently displayed on the back of the helmet.
In this area statistics and experts are not lying. The statistics show that motorcycles are more prone to accidents than automobiles and the injuries are more significant. Perhaps the choice of wearing a helmet or not should be a personal decision and not a legal issue. But the facts are a rider is more likely to survive an accident properly outfitted to ride.
