Motorcycle Accident Statistics Don’t Lie
Motorcycle accident statistics from all sources continue to prove that motorcycle helmet laws save lives. Government and privately conducted studies report motorcycle accident statistics and the effectiveness of helmets and the impact of helmet laws in reducing the number of serious injuries and fatalities. The motorcycle accident statistics reported from some these studies are cited below.
In its Report to Congress: Benefits of Safety Belts and Motorcycle Helmets, The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) confirms that:
- Motorcycle helmets are 67 percent effective in preventing brain injuries.
- Un-helmeted motorcyclists areover three times as likely to suffer a brain injury as were those who were helmeted.
- NHTSA estimates that in 1996 helmets saved 490 motorcyclists’ lives. If all motorcyclists in all 50 states and the District of Columbia had worn a helmet, that number would have been 769.
- NHTSA estimates that from 1984 to 1996 helmets saved the lives of 7,940motorcyclists. If all motorcyclists in all 50 states and the District of Columbia had worn a helmet during this time period, the number of lives saved would have been 14,505.
- Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) data indicated that helmets are 29 percent effective in reducing fatalities in motorcycle crashes.
The U.S. General Accounting Office reviewed 46 studies on motorcycle helmets and helmet laws with these findings:
- Helmeted riders have up to a 73 percent lower fatality rate than un-helmeted riders.
- Helmeted riders have up to an 85 percent reduced incidence of severe, serious, and critical injuries than un-helmeted riders.
- The GAO concluded: “Because there is convincing evidence that helmets save lives and reduce society’s burden of caring for injured riders, Congress may wish to consider encouraging states to enact and retain universal helmet laws.”
2013 Statistics
The Center for Disease Control (CDC) released an article discussing recent years motorcycle accident statistics. The report indicates that a rise of motorcycle riders makes the rise of injury statistics a public safety concern.
- Between 2001 and 2008, more than 34,000 motorcyclists were killed and an estimated 1,222,000 persons were treated in a U.S. emergency department (ED) for a non-fatal motorcycle-related injury.
- The highest death and injury rates were among 20-24 year-olds, followed by 25-29 year-olds.
- More than half of all nonfatal injuries treated in EDs were to the leg/foot (30%) or head/neck (22%).
- Motorcyclist death rates increased 55% from 2001 to 2008 (1.12 per 100,000 persons in 2001 to 1.74 per 100,000 persons in 2008).
- The number of nonfatal motorcyclist injuries that were treated in EDs also increased, from nearly 120,000 injuries in 2001 to about 175,000 in 2008.
As a public safety issue, the CDC supports lawmakers on establishing stricter helmet laws nationwide. The CDC is also a strong advocate for motorcycle safety and helmet safety for all modes of transportation that require helmets.
Center for Disease Control suggests that motorcyclists always wear DOT-approved helmets along with protective clothing that is easily noticeable by other drivers. Along with these suggestions, CDC also reminds motorcycle riders of the basic safety measures:
- Do not drink and drive – and don’t let your friends do it either
- Avoid tailgating
- Maintain a safe speed at all times
Nationwide, 4,502 people were killed in 2010 from motorcycle-related accidents, which also lead to a total medical care and lost-productivity cost exceeding $12 billion in one year. The CDC estimates that wearing a helmet will decrease crash-related deaths by as much as 41%.
CDC also reported that California saved $394 million dollars of medical and lost-productivity costs as a result of its universal helmet law in 2010. Additionally – according to analysis of fatal crash data performed by CDC – only 12% of motorcyclists in the U.S. who were not wearing helmets came from an area with universal helmet laws. Sixty-four percent of these accidents were from states with partial helmet laws, and 79 percent were from states with no helmet laws in place.
For more information, check out our Motorcycle Resources section.
