Helmet Laws

According to studies by Ganti et al. (2013), wearing a correctly fitted helmet can prevent 88% of brain injuries that could happen in the event of accidents. At the moment, more and more people use motor vehicles that mandate the wearing of helmets while driving on a daily basis. Coincidentally, using these motor vehicles carries the risk of mishaps happening because human error and the possibility that some motor vehicles may malfunction or fail occasionally are both linked to people. The majority of drivers are obliged to wear helmets whenever they are on the road. The use of helmets according to Ross, T., Ross, L., Rahman and Cataldo (2010) is for the purposes of safety in the event of an accident to protect the riders’ exposed head. The increasing numbers recorded by states of motorcycle crashes have raised health concerns thus the emergence of the Universal helmet laws that are aimed at protecting riders on the roads. Universal helmet laws have the potential to save lives, so why does less than half of the states in the US follow the universal helmet law?

History of Universal Helmet Law

As disclosed by "Motorcycles" (2017) currently in the US, there are only nineteen states and the District of Columbia that have adopted laws that require all motorcyclists to wear a helmet at all times that they are using their motor vehicles. These laws with time came to be known as Universal Helmet Laws, which were created for the purpose of protecting riders on the roads and ensuring the order is enforced towards the riders taking on the roads. These laws were put in place to make the use of helmets compulsory for every motorcycle user for purposes of their safety as well as protecting their health. Earlier before the laws were put in place, there were a lot of casualties that perished as a result of not using helmets as they rode motorbikes in the highways. Hospitals recorded an increased number of head injuries in the event of accidents involving motorcyclists.

Given the safety concerns that arose from the use of motorcycles and the numbers of fatalities that took place in the event of accidents, the laws to have riders wear helmets at all times as they use their motor vehicles was put into effect in some states. However, not all states were or are willing to put into effect the use of Universal Helmet Laws for various reasons. The use of helmets has both its pros and cons that are mostly analyzed by riders to make their cases and pick on a side whether or not they should wear the helmets. The benefit of wearing a helmet for a motorcycle rider is undeniable, with regards to their safety; nonetheless, some argue that it is not necessary to wear the helmets as the riders acknowledge the risk involved in riding without a helmet. Others argue that helmet laws do not in any way reduce the fatalities of motorcycle accidents that take place on the roads, hence the Universal helmet laws are not necessary (Nunn, 2011).

Problem to Address

The use of helmets is, without a doubt, beneficial to the motorcycle rider with regards to their safety and health-wise in the event they are involved in an accident. Statistics from "Bicycle Helmet Statistics" (2015) have shown that a significant number of up to 45,000 bicyclists who have perished from accidents did not have a helmet at the time of the crash. Similar research on the fatalities of motorbike crashes indicates that some riders who wore helmets were able to survive similar accidents with a reduced number of head injuries being recorded in hospitals. These numbers clearly highlight the benefits of the Universal helmet laws which require all riders at all times they use the motorbikes on the roads they are supposed to be equipped with a proper helmet and worn at all times they use the roads on their bikes.

The prevention of fatalities involved in motorcycle accidents is the reason for the adoption of the universal helmet laws in most states in the US. These laws were designed to protect the riders’ health when an accident involving their motorcycles occurred. Bowman, Fitzharris, and Bingham (2013) point out that the inception of these universal helmet laws came after the realization that motorcycle accidents on the roads were increasing each other day with the increased ownership of the motor vehicles. Health concerns were raised on the levels of fatalities and head injuries that the unfortunate riders accrued when accidents happened. The use of a helmet was to then enforced for purposes of protecting the riders of the bikes against life-threatening injuries to the head that were rampant in the event of an accident and the and the rider had no helmet.

Benefits of Helmet Use

The use of helmets has been able to save lives and it has had a rebound effect to the society and the economy of the states that have the universal helmet laws implemented. The number of accidents that have been taking place in the country involving the users of motorbikes has risen, however, the number of fatalities in states with universal helmet laws have been minimal. Alternatively, the number of people who have survived the ordeals are able to continue with their lives and contribute to the society and the economy of their states. Accidents that become fatal are mostly found among non-users of helmets who end up with brain injuries due to the impacts to the head and renders most of these victims unconscious in a coma or a vegetative state.

The increased use of motorcycles in states with universal helmet laws has been able to increase the production of helmets and also have new entrepreneurs of these equipment crops up. The sale of helmets has become a booming business in some states and in turn raised the standards of living of the locals. Production of helmets has increased the demand for raw materials and led to the creation of employment opportunities. Helmet production has increased in states with the universal helmet laws creating an improved economy helping the US in its agenda to realize more jobs for its citizens, thus addressing unemployment in America. The states that adopted universal helmet laws are also beneficiaries of an increased tax collections as a result of the emergence of an important sector in the production, sale, and use of helmets.

Conclusion

The use of helmets sure does not reduce the number of accidents that occur on the roads among the motorbike riders but the use of helmets has some benefit attached to it with regards to the safety of the riders. The universal helmet laws on the surface seem minor with the sole goal of protecting motorcyclists but the underlying benefits of the law are vast if looked at in depth. Universal helmet laws should be adopted by all the states in America as it is more beneficial to both the society, the health sector, the economy and most importantly to the safety of the motorcyclists in the event of an accident. Its adoption which is deemed unnecessary is more crucial than it is assumed.

References

Bicycle Helmet Statistics. (2015). Bhsi.org. Retrieved 30 April 2017, from http://www.bhsi.org/stats.htm

Bowman, D., Fitzharris, M. P., & Bingham, R. (2013). Making a positive impact: striking a balance between legislative reach and road safety. Annals Health L., 22, 281.

Ganti, L., Bodhit, A., Daneshvar, Y., Patel, P., Pulvino, C., & Hatchitt, K. et al. (2013). Impact of Helmet Use in Traumatic Brain Injuries Associated with Recreational Vehicles. Retrieved 30 April 2017, from http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2013/450195

Motorcycles. (2017). IIHS. Retrieved 30 April 2017, from http://www.iihs.org/iihs/topics/laws/helmetuse/mapmotorcyclehelmets

Nunn, S. (2011). Death by motorcycle: background, behavioral, and situational correlates of fatal motorcycle collisions. Journal of forensic sciences, 56(2), 429-437.

Ross, T. P., Ross, L. T., Rahman, A., & Cataldo, S. (2010). The bicycle helmet attitudes scale: using the health belief model to predict helmet use among undergraduates. Journal of American College Health, 59(1), 29-36.