Motorcycle Helmets -- Really Worth Wearing?

By: Kevin Cundick
Submitted: 2007-01-17 11:30:59
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With the price of fuel skyrocketing and the American Family budget getting stretched thinner and thinner because of it, Motorcycles, because of their increased fuel economy, will certainly only become more popular.

Motorcycles, because they take up less space than a car or truck, are harder to see. This loss of visibility makes it more likely for a Motorcycle to be involved in a collision than other vehicles. Because Motorcycles lack the protection of other vehicles, such as a car or truck, severe injury is much more likely.

In researching this article, I found that there are conflicting reports as to whether or not a Motorcycle Helmet actually helps decrease injury.

For instance, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration it is estimated that an unhelmeted rider is 40% more likely to suffer a fatal head injury and 15% more likely to incur a nonfatal head injury than a rider who is helmeted. Yet a report published by Dr. Jonathan Goldstein of Bowdoin College states “It is concluded that (1) Motorcycle Helmets have no significant effect on probability of fatality and (2) past a critical impact speed, helmets increase the severity of neck injuries”.

I’ve seen the same report, specifically the National Safety Administration report to Congress, the CODES study, one 1995 and on 1999, used to prove opposites. Here is an example: “Helmets are minimally effective in preventing most injuries” come from the 1995 study. Then from the 1999 study, “…Helmets are 67% percent effective in preventing brain injuries and that unhelmeted motorcyclists involved in crashes were more than three times more likely to suffer injuries than whose wearing helmets.”

These two examples show that there are mixed messages being sent to Motorcycle Riders. To further illustrate this point here are some further examples of mixed message:

Automobile accidents account for 45.5% of all head injured patients and are responsible for 37.1% of all fatalities involving head injury (The Journal of Trauma, 1989), indicating that cars are more dangerous than motorcycles.

Per vehicle mile, motorcyclists are about 26 times as likely as passenger car occupants to die in a traffic crash and about 5 times as likely to be injured. (NHTSA Traffic Safety Facts, 2002), indicating that occupants of a car are much less likely to be injured than riders of a Motorcycle.

Injured motorcycle operators admitted to trauma centers had lower injury severity scores compared to other road trauma victims. They accrued lower hospital charges. They were less likely to rely on Medicaid and Medicare, and they had about the same level of commercial or private insurance as other road trauma victims. (University of North Carolina Highway Safety Research Center, June, 1992), indicating that Motorcyclists are less likely to be in the Hospital.

Hospital stays are longer for unhelmeted riders and the cost to taxpayers is significantly higher since many motorcyclists are uninsured. (Michigan Traffic Safety Information Council.), indicating those unhelmeted Motorcyclists are a larger cost to society.

In my opinion this mixed message is dangerous to those Motorcycle Riders. We all must be responsible for ourselves and to those who love us. The decision as to whether or not to wear a Motorcycle Helmet is ultimately our own.

Recent events can shed light upon whether wearing a helmet is smart or not. Ask Ben Roethlisberger, Quarterback of the Pittsburg Steelers, whether wearing a Motorcycle Helmet is smart or not. I promise his opinion on whether or not to wear a Helmet is different now than it was before his accident. For reference on this, see Ben’s apology to his coaches and fans after he left the hospital after major surgery to repair his face and jaw. All of this information is available on the ESPN website.

I have personal experiences that have taught me that wearing a Helmet is an absolute necessity when riding a Motorcycle. I served as an Emergency Medical Technician for my local community in the early 1990’s for more than five years. I could use a number of examples from different calls I went on. One in particular stands out in my mind.

We were called to an automobile accident involving a motorcycle. When we arrived on the scene we found that a Motorcycle was unable to stop and ran into the back of a full size Ford Bronco, head first. The victim was lying on the ground. He did not wear a helmet and as such was lying in a pool of his own blood that came from injuries to his head. He was conscious but not coherent. He didn’t know what day, month, or year it was. Due to his current state of consciousness it was necessary to rush him to the Hospital. The police later determined that had he been wearing a helmet, he would’ve received a few cuts and bruises, but would’ve essentially walked away.

A second story I’d like to share from my experiences as an EMT, is very similar, but with a different outcome. Again, we were called to an accident involving a motorcycle. Upon arriving on the scene we noticed a motorcycle had hit the back of another vehicle. The “victim” was not lying on the ground. He was up walking around conversing with other people. He had no signs of trauma, he had been wearing his helmet. He walked away.

Kevin Cundick runs and writes articles for the Best Guide to Motorcycles website. Kevin was an Emergency Medical Technician for South Ogden Fire Dept. and Ace Ambulance from 1990-1995. For further Motorcycle resources see the Best Guide to Motorcycles website.

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