Several laws in the United States are in place to protect you from serious harm. For example, even if you may not be directly causing damage to anyone else, you should nevertheless follow the law and wear a seat belt.
Helmet requirements for motorcycles are comparable to car requirements. Wearing a helmet may prevent certain death from a severe motorbike accident. However, even if you’re an expert rider, you still need to protect your head, and helmets are only some stylish accessories.
The Federal Government and the States in the US
Each state can make its own decisions regarding helmet regulations, but in the 1960s, the federal government mandated that all states enact such laws for the safety of their citizens.
Most states now (27) have fragile helmet rules, while 20 have strong helmet laws, and 3 have none (Illinois, Iowa, and New Hampshire). This is due to a vast number of appeals and repeals. While the weaker helmet laws generally require helmet laws for those under 18 in 27 states.
More states are opting for universal helmet use as the federal government remains undecided about whether or not to mandate helmet use for riders of all ages. Motorcycle fatalities are now over 35 times higher than those involving passenger cars.
When riding a motorcycle, all riders, regardless of age, should purchase and wear a motorcycle helmet for protection. If you’re in the market for a helmet and want some recommendations on where to buy one, check out the Motorcycle Lawyer blog.
Effects of Mandatory Helmet Use on Behavior
The number of persons wanting to wear helmets is affected by regulations requiring them. Nearly all riders in states where doing so is required do so while donning one. In jurisdictions where they are not necessary, that figure plummets to much below 50%. As a result, motorcycle fatalities are far more significant in areas without strict helmet laws than when the rules are established. One explanation is that those not obliged to wear helmets typically choose not to.
Even though there are plenty of unnecessary laws in the world, helmet laws protect you very well, and until people realize that wearing one could be the difference between life and death, requiring it to be worn seems to be the only effective way to make sure it ends up on someone’s head.