Discussion: Helmet use laws

Discussion: Helmet use laws

Discussion: Helmet use laws

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Use the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) data from “Motorcycle Helmet Use—State Laws,” and the “The Effects of Michigan’s Weakened Motorcycle Helmet Use Law on Insurance Losses,” provided in the Assessment documents, and other research you find on your own, to review data on states with partial helmet laws.

· Describe at least two impacts on injuries when Michigan weakened its helmet use laws. (1–3 paragraphs)

· Justify the need for helmet use laws to protect motorcyclists and bystanders. In what ways does not wearing a helmet while operating a motorcycle impact the health and safety of other citizens? (1 page)

Although overall traffic-related fatalities have decreased [1], deaths associated with motorcycle use have increased by 55% since 2000 [2], and in 2010, more than 4,500 individuals died riding motorcycles [2–3]. According to government data, while only 20% of automobile crashes result in injury or death, the injury and/or fatality rate after motorcycle crashes approaches 80% [4]. The helmet is the most important piece of motorcycle protective equipment. In 2008, the federal government estimated that the use of helmets saved the lives of 1,829 motorcyclists, and if all motorcyclists had worn helmets that year, an additional 823 lives could have been saved [5]. Overall, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates that helmets are 37% effective in preventing fatal injuries to motorcycle riders and 41% for motorcycle passengers [6]. Currently, only 19 states have mandatory universal motorcycle helmet laws in place, 28 states have partial helmet laws, and three states have no helmet laws at all [7]. This is a significant difference compared to the legislative requirements in 1975 when mandatory helmet laws were congressionally mandated. At that time, the Highway Safety Act linking federal highway construction funds to the presence of universal helmet laws led to the majority of states enacting universal helmet laws (only three states did not comply). After 1975, largely as a result of lobbying by motorcycle groups, Congress repealed the helmet requirement and associated penalties.

As the medical providers primarily responsible for the care and management of injured motorcyclists, trauma surgeons are uniquely impacted by the use or non-use of motorcycle helmets by their respective patient populations. As no definitive studies evaluating the benefits of helmet use are available, trauma surgeons’ opinions regarding this issue are important and could significantly impact legislative efforts to increase helmet use. We attempted to gain a better understanding of this highly controversial issue and conducted a survey to determine the current attitudes of trauma surgeons regarding motorcycle helmet use and associated outcomes.