Yesterday, I actually saw a passenger on the back of a motorcycle on the interstate wearing a bikini top, daisy dukes, and NO HELMET. It was disgusting. Don't people care at all if they live or die? According to 2003 statistics from the Department of Transportation, helmets are 37% effective in preventing fatalities in motor vehicle collisions. This 37% takes into account that a helmet will not prevent a rider from injuries incurred to parts of the body other than the head. (So, a helmet will not save you from a bumper through the abdomen, but hey, we can't all win.) Although there is a HUGE decrease in helmet usage. 2000 statistics indicated that 71% of motorcycle riders were wearing helmets compared to the 2003 stats that indicated only 58% of riders using helmets.
These statistics are only referencing accidents in which the motorcycle was killed. Imagine how many people who were not wearing helmets DID NOT DIE, but sustained serious head injuries... and are now getting crayons and coloring books for the remainder of their birthdays. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, riders not wearing helmets are three times more likely to sustain serious brain injuries than those riders wearing helmets.
It's a no brainer (pun intended) that motorcyclists should protect themselves. In a study conducted by the University of Southern California, 900 motorcyclists who had been involved in accidents were surveyed. Sixty percent of them were not wearing helmets at the time of the accident, and 53% of the unhelmeted riders said that they were not wearing helmets because they "simply had no expectation of accident involvement."
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