MOTORCYCLE SAFETY: HELMETS

B Y: PA U L L E D O U X

THE HURT REPORT

Professor Harry Hurt pictured with

damaged helmets.

• 60% of motorcyclist not wearing helmet

• 26% said helmets are uncomfortable or inconvenient

• 53% said they do not expect to be involved in accident

THE HURT REPORT

MOTORCYCLE HELMETS SAVE LIVES

Helmet crash zones published in The Hurt Report

Helmet that saved a motorcyclist in Iowa

IT'S BETTER TO BE SAFE THAN SORRY!

Each state is encouraged to have and enforce a mandatory all-rider motorcycle helmet use law.

• 19 States have Universal Law

• 28 States have Partial Law

• 3 States of No law

Blue: Universal (All Riders Must Wear Helmet)

Gray: Partial (Certain Age Riders Must Wear Helmet)

White: (No Helmet Law)Photo: State by State color coded map for Helmet Laws published by The Center for Disease

Control and Prevention

THE NEW ENGLAND STATES• Universal Law:

Massachusetts and Vermont

• Partial Law:Maine, Rhode Island and

Connecticut

• No Law:New Hampshire

Photo: New England color coded map of Helmet Laws published by The Center for Disease Control and Prevention

THE MORE HELMETS WORN, THE MORE WE ALL SAVE.

States with Universal Helmet Law we nearly 4 times more cost savings than states with partial laws.

In terms of annual cost savings, in terms of medical, productivity, and other

costs:

California (Universal Law) saved the most with $394,000,000 in 2010

New Mexico (Partial Law) saved the least with $2,600,000 in 2010

WHY SHOULD I WEAR A HELMET?!

In 1981, 26% of motorcyclists in Los Angeles reported that they find helmets to be uncomfortable. – The Hurt Report

I DON’T WEAR A HELMET WHEN THE LAW ALLOWS ME TO RIDE HELMET FREE BECAUSE THEY DON’T LOOK COOL.– motorcyclist friend of mine

“THEY ARE TOO HOT IN THE SUMMER. THE DAMN THING MAKES ME SWEATY!”

– same motorcyclist friend of mine

HOW TO PICK A HELMETA Good Helmet should: • Fit snugly all the way around.

• Have strong straps with two rings to fasten them.

• Be bright in color or have reflective materials so other motorist can see you.

• Have no defects like cracks, broken parts, or straps.

• Been approved by DOT.

UTILIZING HELMET TO KEEP COOLComfort / fit padding as illustrated

on the graphic

The material of Polystyrene acts as insulation

• Soak your head with cool water before putting my helmet on.

• Then apply your helmet.

The insulation of the helmet does not allow the coolness to escape & will help hinder the possibility of heat exhaustion.

NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION

• Motorcyclists that are not wearing a helmet are 3 times more likely suffer traumatic brain injuries

• Motorcycle helmets reduce the likelihood of a crash fatality by 37 percent.

• 42% of motorcyclists who were fatally injured were not wearing a helmet.

• Helmets saved over 1,500 riders’ lives, but about 700 more lives

could have been saved if all riders had worn helmets in 2010.

• Helmets can make a huge difference as a motorcyclist

• ALWAYS WEAR A HELMET THAT MEETS THE STANDARDS SET BY THE DEPORTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

• Riding a motorcycle is dangerous

• It is your job to protect yourself

IT'S BETTER TO BE SAFE THAN SORRY!

RIDE SAFE!

WORK CITEDKresnak, Bill. Motorcycling For Dummies. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley and Sons, INC, 2008. Print. Helmets: a road safety manual for decision-makers and practitioners. Geneva, World Health Organization, 2006. Print.Hurt, H.H., Ouellet, J.V. and Thom, D.R., Motorcycle Accident Cause Factors and Identification of Countermeasures, Volume 1: Technical Report. New York: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 1981. Print. Page 429. Motorcycle Safety Guide: Helmet Laws Save Lives and Money. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, June 13, 2012. Web. 04/22/2013.http://www.cdc.gov/motorvehiclesafety/mc/guide/save.html Motorcycle Safety. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, June 18, 2012. Web. 04/21/2013.http://www.cdc.gov/Features/MotorcycleSafety/ Q&A: Motorcycles — helmets March 2013. Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Web. 04/21/2013.http://www.iihs.org/research/qanda/helmet_use.aspx#cite-text-0-1

Val. When Life Makes You Slow Down. 2012. Web. 4/21/2013. Photohttp://cornbeanspigskids.blogspot.com/2012/08/when-life-makes-you-slow-down.html

FIGURE 2. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 2012, June 15, 2012. Web. 4/21/2013. Photo. 4/21/2013.http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm6123a1.htm#fig2

Deutermann, William. Traffic Safety Facts. NHTSA’s National Center for Statistics and Analysis. August 2005. Web. 4/21/2013. Table. http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/Pubs/809861.pdf

Motorcycle Safety Foundation. What You Should Know About Motorcycle Helmets. 4/23/2013http://www.msf-usa.org/downloads/helmet_CSi.pdf