Are Motorcycle Helmet Laws Needed?

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) almost 5,000 motorcycle related deaths occurred in 2006. Several states require helmets for the motorcycle driver and their passengers. Several states have laws covering only the riders and 3 states have no helmet laws at all. Many states with motorcycle helmet laws are repealing them.

NHTSA, reports that 65% of fatally injured riders in 2006 were not wearing helmets compared to 13% in states that have rider helmet laws. The largest increase in motorcycle fatalities from 2006-2008 was in the age group 50 and above. The group still having the largest percent of fatal crashes was in the 20-29 year age range. 27% of those who died in vehicle accidents with a blood alcohol level of .08 or more were on motorcycles.

With the availability and creativity in today's helmets, there's no end to what kind of helmet the motorcycle driver and rider can purchase. There's also a wide range of helmets for children. Some of the helmet photos are from: Creative Art in Motorcycle Helmets.

DID YOU KNOW????

DID YOU KNOW that talking on a cell phone while driving is equal to driving with a .O8 blood alcohol level?

That finding held true whether the driver was holding a cell phone or using a hands-free device. Between 4,000 and 8,000 crashes related to "distracted driving", which includes cell phone use, occur each day.

"There's very good evidence that people who talk on their cell phone-it impairs their driving" says Rene Marois a psychologist at Vanderbilt University.

Maneuvering through traffic while talking on a cell phone increases the likelihood of an accident five-fold and is actually more dangerous than driving drunk, US researchers report. The report also says there is a a difference between behaviors of drunk drivers and those who were talking on the phone. Drunk drivers tended to be aggressive, while those talking on the phone were more sluggish.