Riding a motorcycle can be a fun and exciting hobby. With gas prices at near all-time highs, it can also be a very economical way of getting around. Unfortunately, it can also be dangerous. In the spring of 2006, my brother received third-degree burns on both legs when the motorcycle he was riding was hit from behind by a straight truck. He was not wearing a helmet at the time of the crash and to this day I have no idea how he lived. He was lucky to have survived, but many others are not. To protect motorcyclists, laws should mandate all riders wear a helmet because statistics indicate that they prevent serious injury which, in turn, causes economic strain to society.
Motorcycle riders argue that the choice to wear or not to wear a motorcycle helmet is a personal one and universal helmet laws, laws which require all riders to wear a helmet, are a violation of their civil rights. In lawsuits against states with universal helmet laws, high courts were divided. Some states ruled that the universal helmet law was unconstitutional, such as in Illinois and Michigan. In other states, such as Massachusetts and Florida, the courts upheld the law (Marian and Bayer 210-211). To be sure, personal choice is something to be taken into consideration, however, concerns over personal safety and the safety of others should outweigh the personal choice in this matter.
Another argument against wearing a motorcycle helmet is that some riders insist that wearing a helmet limits vision and hearing, and endangers the rider. Nevertheless, a 1994 National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) study concluded just the opposite. The results of the study indicate that wearing a helmet while riding neither increases nor decreases the rider’s ability t...
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...t, A. James, and A. Scott McKnight. "The Effects of Motorcycle Helmets Upon Seeing and Hearing." National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. United States Department of Transportation, Feb. 1994. Web. 29 Oct. 2013.
"Motorcycles: Helmets and antilock brakes make riding less dangerous." Highway Safety Research and Communications. Insurance Institute for Highway Safety Loss Data Institute. Oct. 2013. Web. 29 Oct 2013.
Naumann, Rebecca B., and Ruth A. Shults. "Helmet Use Among Motorcyclists Who Died In Crashes And Economic Cost Savings Associated With State Motorcycle Helmet Laws -- United States, 2008-2010." MMWR: Morbidity & Mortality Weekly Report 61.23 (2012): 425-30. Academic Search Premier. Web. 1 Nov. 2013.
“Traffic Safety Facts 2011 Data.” National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. United States Department of Transportation, May 2013. Web. 29 Oct. 2013.
In 1989, plaintiff Joseph Benning was cited for a violation of § 1256 for operating a motorcycle without wearing approved headgear in Caledonia County, Vermont. The statue states that “No person may operate or ride upon a motorcycle upon a highway unless he wears upon his head protective headgear reflectorized in part and of a type approved by the commissioner.1 The headgear shall be equipped with either a neck or chin strap.1” The County State’s Attorney dismissed the citation because he deemed the statue vague and unable to establish the elements necessary to prosecute the crime.1 However, the plaintiffs filed suit against the state, seeking to have § 1256 declared unconstitutional.
Ontario Provincial Police . (2009). Provincial Traffic Safety Program. Retrieved from Ontario Provincial Police: http://www.opp.ca/ecms/index.php?id=51
2. Motorcycle fatality rates due to riding without a helmet are quickly rising. Nationally, motorcycle fatalities have increased 59 percent since 1997 (Motorcycle 1). Between September and December of 2003 in Pennsylvania, helmetless rider fatalities more than doubled, but fatalities decreased in riders wearing helmets (Wlazelek 1). Similarly, research done by the American Journal of Public Health found that motorcycle helmets severely reduce the presence and severity of head injuries resulting from motorcycle accidents (Rowland 4). Obviously, there is strong correlation between helmet use and the number of fatal crashes. The research done across Pennsylvania in the years following the repeal of the all-rider helmet law suggests that helmets do in fact decrease the risk of serious head injuries and death among motorcyclists. According to Judith Stone, increased deaths were enough for Louisiana to reject helmetless riding and revert back to an all-rider helmet law. Louisiana saw a 100 per...
Millions of people all over the United States choose motorcycles over automobiles for the thrill, speed, and high performance capabilities. On the other hand, motorcycles are not at all the safest way of transportation. Motorcycles do not provide the passenger with the outer protection that cars provide, therefore, when one crashes, the results are usually much more serious. Injuries to the head are responsible for 76% of fatalities when dealing with motorcycle crashes many of which could have been prevented had the rider been wearing a helmet. For this reason, many states have adopted the motorcycle helmet law. The law states that every passengers must wear a helmet at all times when riding on a motorcycle. This law has created a great deal of controversy. One side supports the law, believing that it protects motorcyclists from danger and saves the economy a great deal of money. The other side argues that the law is unconstitutional and it violates our right to freedom. However, statistics show overwhelming support in favor of the motorcycle helmet law. Although wearing helmets cannot prevent motorcycle crashes, they can greatly reduce the number of deaths caused by head injury as well as lowering taxes, insurance rates, and health care costs. Therefore, the helmet law should be put into effect in every state across the United States.
"CDC -Injury - Teen Drivers: Fact Sheet." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Web. 23 Mar. 2010. .
People do not realize how much of a problem drinking and driving can cause, not only in the United States but all over the world. In 2009, 1.4 million drivers have been arrested, but the influenced by alcohol or drugs. There is a very high percentage of motorcycle fatalities and about a third of them are alcohol accidents and there levels are above legal
While wearing a helmet can improve a rider’s chances of surviving an accident, it is not a failsafe. In a motorcycle accident, any evidence that the victim can gather is helpful in ensuring that the negligent, careless or reckless driver is held responsible. Hiring a personal injury attorney may increase the chances that compensation for the damages covers medical bills, especially when long-term care is
This topic is a constant and heated debate among people. Many people argue that the rider should have the freedom to choose whether or not to wear a helmet. Although, many people feel this is a selfish perspective because when others have accidents, it becomes other people’s concerns. This is said because some people believe that the families, loved ones, or tax payers will be paying for the rider’s injury bills. Along with freedom rights, riders complain that the helmets are heavy. With the weight of the helmet, arguments are made that injuries could increase with the spinal cord or neck. Likewise, people think that helmets can become a distraction or “get in the way”. When riders say this, they are referring to their ability to see or hear what is going on in the environment. “These senses have been studied in the context of motorcycle activity and do not appear to be impaired, and in certain circumstances, may be improved” (Auerbach). Research has been shown that helmets do not cause distractions or impair hearing or vision
Assistant City Manager Mike Wanchick said, "A helmet seems to give a false sense of security to the cyclist, who feel less vulnerable and may ride less cautiously," He then went on to add. "As a result, riders wearing a helmet are more likely to have an accident." (Post) Now, the Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute (BHSI) statistics show four states accounted for 40 percent of bicycle deaths in 2000, With Texas as one of them. Yet, Wanchick says that "our basic position is that bicycle safety is a parents' primary obligation," adding " What hurts kids are cars and we need to be working the traffic citations out there* people who are licensed to drive cars, not kids learning to ride bicycles." (Post) Even though 10 of the largest cities in Texas have bicycle-helmet ordinances including Dallas and Fort Worth. But, Richardson Texas choose to not act on this issue, but turn a blind eye to one of the silent injuries and the prevention of it by wearing a simple helmet. The BHSI says the statistics show about 800 bicyclists die in the US every year. Plus another one in eight of the cyclists injured has a brain injury.
While the use of helmets does aid in protecting players from brain trauma, they also increase the risky behavior of players; this is called risk compensation. Risk compensation is the adjustment of individual behavior, responding to the perceived changes in risk (TheFreeDictionary.com). Most people that wear helmets have a pre-conceived idea that, because they have a helmet on, they can possess more daring behaviors and be fine. The helmet is basically thought of as a tool to hit harder, or improve performance in today’s culture. Adventure writer and pilot, Lane Wallace (2011) accurately understands the dangers of helmets being used incorrectly, and how they are used as weapons instead of safety. Wallace also theorizes like the NFL, a change in football culture and of viewpoints towards helmets would vastly reduce trauma to the
... n.p., n.d. Data : n.p., n.d. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Web. The Web. The Web. 15 Mar. 2014.
Car accidents are the leading cause of death for people under the age of 35. Wearing a seat belt can prevent death in about half of these accidents. Did you know that every 15 seconds someone is injured in an automobile accident if they are not buckled up, or that every 13 minutes someone is killed in a crash. Failure to wear a seat belt contributes to more fatalities than any other single traffic safety related behavior. According to the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration seatbelts saved nearly 12,000 lives in the United States in the year 2000. The NHTSA estimates that more than 9,000 U.S. car accident fatalities in 2000 would have been avoided if the victims had been wearing seatbelts. Sixty three percent of the people killed in accidents were not wearing seat belts. The NHTSA a...
II. According to the Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute, bicycle related crashes kill about 900 people a year and injure over half a million. Most bicycle deaths or accidents occur between 3-9 pm, and most often occur during the summer months. We can prevent these numbers by: wearing protective equipment, obeying the rules of the road, and being aware of your surroundings.
The Web. 20 Nov. 2013. "Motor Vehicle–Related Deaths — United States, 2003–2007. " Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 14 Jan. 2011.
Nevertheless, hands-free phones are just as disturbing as hand held phones. They both serve the same purpose when it comes to distracting the driver from state of the road. Thus, hand held devices do not increase safety, and I have observed this when using the cell phones as I drive. At the same time, I have noticed that my reaction time significantly reduced, and I almost caused an accident. When I look at this slow reaction, I compare it to that of an old...