Helmet Laws

Helmet Laws
By: Ben Spencer
Should helmet laws be motivated by scientific evidence or by groups of people that can pay lobbyist the most money? Some bikers would say it should be personal preference and not laws that make them wear helmets. Most of the scientific studies show that motorcycles in general are a more dangerous form of transportation than cars and trucks. These studies also show that individuals involved in motorcycles accidents had less serious injuries if they wore helmets than those riders not wearing helmets. These facts alone show the importance of wearing helmets. In addition to fewer head injuries, helmets should be required to help decrease cost to anyone involved in paying for healthcare.
Although it is proven that helmets are important in motorcycle safety, there is also proof that individuals wearing seatbelts in automobiles have less of a risk of severe injury and death when involved in an accident. It is the law in most states that everyone in the vehicle is buckled up. It is also the law that small children be buckled up in a car seat that meet state regulations. So why is it that bikers have freedom of choice but those in automobiles are made to “click it or ticket”?
If motorcyclist are given freedom of choice as to whether or not to wear a helmet, should a law enforcing other “riders” of vehicles to wear helmets be enforced? There are studies out that show the number of individuals operating all terrain vehicles wearing helmets have a better outcome when involved in accidents than those that don’t wear helmets.
Motorcycle and bicycle accidents are frequent and often unavoidable. It is often the cyclists are difficult to see when they use busy roadways. When the accidents do occur, head injuries are very likely to occur when there is no protection. Scientific research has been done to prove helmet use minimizes head injuries by as much as 88%. Many cyclists even admit that the use of a helmet “saved their lives” when involved in an accident, but unfortunately when given the choice most cyclist chose not to wear helmets.
Opposition to enforcing helmet laws comes primarily from biker groups and associations. Bikers argue that helmets should be optional and not mandatory. They simply don’t want to be forced to wear them. They also feel wearing helmets is unattractive and “un cool”. More importantly bikers think that helmets are uncomfortable and cause neck pain and injury because of the stress the helmets put o0n their necks due to the weight of the helmet.
Currently there is not a universal law that covers all motorcycle riders in the state of Kentucky. There is a partial law that requires 20 years and younger to wear helmets when riding a motorcycle. Kentucky’s ATV helmet requirement states that riders under 16years old must wear a helmet at al times and riders 16 years of age and older are required to wear helmets on public property. The law also states that motorcycle riders that are 21 years and older can have the choice of wearing no helmet if they can prove they have medical insurance coverage. There are currently no required bicycle helmet laws although it seems that more bicyclist wear helmets than motorcyclist.
Almost 50% of motorcycle crash victims do not have private health insurance coverage so most of their medical bills are paid by medical and other government funds theirs puts a huge drain on healthcare and on state and federal budgets, many times it is not just the cost of medical care immediately following the crash. Traumatic brain injuries are permanent disabilities and require lifelong medical care. If helmets were a requirement rather than a personal choice, there would be fewer head injuries and a decrease in cost to anyone paying for healthcare.


By: Ben Spencer