Sage-Tips

How effective are helmets in motorcycle crashes?

Helmets reduce the risk of death by 37\%. Helmets reduce the risk of head injury by 69\%.

Can motorcycle helmets crack?

They may not break, and they may not show exterior signs of damage, but the tensile strength of the fibers in that location decreased, and just like our egg, at the second or third hit in the same place, it will crack open. If we assume that our helmets start at 100\%, each drop or hit of substance eats away at that.

Does a helmet loosen up?

While a helmet should not be too tight, it is good to remember that a helmet mostly loosens up after several hours of use. The comfort liner compresses with use. A new helmet should be tight, but make sure that the tightness is not uncomfortable. After wearing it for a while, it should loosen up to the right tightness.

Do helmets actually help?

This review included five well conducted case‐control studies and found that helmets provide a 63–88\% reduction in the risk of head, brain and severe brain injury for all ages of bicyclists. The review authors concluded that bicycle helmets are an effective means of preventing head injury.

Do helmets reduce motorcycle accidents and fatalities?

The latest research indicates that helmets reduce motorcycle rider fatalities by 22 to 42 percent and brain injuries by 41 to 69 percent ( [Coben, Steiner, and Miller, 2007]; [Cummings et al., 2006]; [Deutermann, 2004]; [Liu et al., 2008]; [NHTSA, 2003c]; [NHTSA, 2006c]).

Do you have to wear a helmet when riding a motorcycle?

Motorcycle operators 21 years of age and older, who have either been licensed to operate a motorcycle for at least two years or who have completed a motorcycle rider safety course approved by the Department of Motor Vehicles or the Motorcycle Safety Foundation, are not required to wear helmets.

When did the first motorcycle helmet law go into effect?

“The first universal motorcycle helmet law was enacted in 1966” (UNC Highway Safety Research Center, 2011, p. 5-7). As a way to increase helmet use, the federal government offered an incentive—certain federal safety programs and highway construction funds—for states that enacted helmet use laws (IIHS, 2011a).

Does repealing the helmet law increase fatalities?

Fatalities even increased among riders under age 21 who were still covered by the helmet law. Hospital admissions and treatment costs have also increased following repeal of universal helmet laws (Derrick and Faucher, 2009; GAO, 1991). (UNC Highway Safety Research Center, 2011, p. 5-8)