Feds Pushing Mandatory Motorcycle Helmet Laws

Federal officials encourage all states to enstate motorcycle helmet law

Late last month, federal officials encouraged states to require all motorcycle riders to wear helmets. The feds pointed to a large increase in motorcycle fatalities in the last decade.

In 2009, there were 4,400 motorcycle deaths in the U.S. This number is double the number of deaths in 1999 due to motorcycle crashes. The leading cause of death in motorcycle accidents is head injuries.

Currently, only 20 states make all riders wear helmets. Most other states have limited helmet requirements, but three states (New Hampshire, Illinois, and Iowa) have no helmet requirement. In prior years, almost all states had universal helmet laws in order to get full federal highway funds. However, Congress repealed the requirement in the mid-90’s, so states were free to make their own helmet laws.

The National Transportation Safety Board, which is behind the measure, cannot force any states to enact helmet laws. It also can’t offer any money to states to incentivize them to pass tougher helmet laws. Instead, they are choosing to keep pressure on the states and then, if necessary, to seek assistance from Congress or the White House.

Despite the rise in motorcycle deaths, overall traffic fatalities are on the decline. Between 1995 and 2009, traffic fatalities dropped 19 percent in the U.S. However, in France fatalities dropped 52 percent in the same time frame, and they dropped 38 percent in the U.K. There are currently 10 industrialized countries with lower fatality rates than the United States. Part of the reason the U.S. has been lagging behind has been blamed on Americans’ reluctance to adopt programs other countries are using, such as speed cameras, sobriety checkpoints, and mandatory motorcycle helmets.

Have you been injured in a motorcycle accident due to the negligence of another party? If so, contact Fountain Valley personal injury attorney Don Sjaarda at 714-963-8216 today.