Georgia Injury Law Blog
Thousands of motorcyclist lives could have been saved in motorcycle accidents over several decades if universal helmet laws had been in place in all U.S. states. Unfortunately, without these laws, many people were killed or suffered brain damage unnecessarily in motorcycle accidents.
A new study conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety finds that as many as 11% of all motorcyclist and rider deaths over a period of close to 5 decades could possibly have been prevented if universal motorcycle helmet laws had been place in all states. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety study, more than 22,000 motorcyclist lives could have been saved between 1976 and 2022 if all states had universal helmet laws. That means that about 11% of all motorcyclist wrongful deaths during this period of time could have been prevented.
Wearing a helmet can significantly help reduce a person’s chances of being killed in a motorcycle accident, just like seat belts can help save motorist lives in car accidents. In spite of that fact, all states have laws that require motorists and passengers to wear seat belts while driving, but only 17 states and the District of Columbia have laws requiring all motorcyclists and riders to wear helmets while riding.