(LS) — When I was a younger man, I took a road trip to Park City, Utah, and I was amazed at two things I saw on the road – the over abundance of motorcyclists there and the fact that none of them were wearing helmets. I come from Texas, where helmets were mandatory at the time, so I was shocked to learn Utah had no helmet law. Then, we stopped a Chili’s for a burger. I ordered mine medium rare, and the waiter failed to warn me that state law requires all hamburgers to be served well done (yuk!) due to fears of mad cow disease. He just brought me a blackened burger and destroyed any chance he had of getting a decent tip. Was the state of Utah trying to tell me that eating a medium rare burger was more dangerous than riding a motorcycle without a helmet? Well, state of Utah, you’ve got this wrong – riding a motorcycle without a helmet is much more dangerous than eating a delicious, juicy, pink burger. In fact, motorcycles are just plain hazardous whether or not you’re wearing a helmet.
Between 1975 and 2005, 62,000 motorcycle riders died in accidents in the United States according to data released by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). While the numbers appeared to be going down leading up to the new millennium, they suddenly began to spike as riding hogs came back into style and many white collar professionals bought bikes and started hitting the roads on weekends. In 2005, 4,553 riders died in fatal motorcycle accidents. Of these, 44 percent, 2,021, died in single vehicle accidents (wipe outs), while 56 percent, 2,532, died in multi-vehicle accidents. Motorcycle riders are 37 times more likely to die in an accident than passenger vehicle drivers or passengers, and 8 times more likely to suffer an injury. A number of factors contributed to these eye-catching statistics:
- Choosing not to wear a helmet. Look at the fatality statistics. Forty-four percent of all motorcycle accident deaths occur in single vehicle accidents, when the rider suffers a spill. The NHTSA has found that unhelmeted riders are 40 percent more likely to die in an accident than helmeted riders. Beyond protecting against a rider when crashes occur, helmets actually help prevent wrecks by cutting down on eye injuries and distractions from dust, dirt and bugs that might fly into the rider’s face. While many opponents of helmet laws claim that helmets limit hearing and awareness, a properly fitted helmet can actually improve a rider’s hearing by cutting down on wind noise. Still, only 22 states require all motorcyclists to wear helmets. That fact is staggering considering all 50 states have seat belt laws, and riding a motorcycle without a helmet is much more dangerous than riding in a car without a seatbelt.
- Speed kills. It’s as true for motorcycle riders as it is for car drivers. When motorcycle riders died in wrecks with passenger vehicles, the riders were nearly four times as likely to be speeding. Twenty-seven percent of motorcycle riders who died in accidents were speeding at the time of the accident. The numbers skyrocket in fatal wipeouts, with speeding playing a factor in two-thirds of all fatal single-vehicle motorcycle accidents. Do I really need to explain why it’s more dangerous to get into a wreck while speeding on a motorcycle as compared to in a car? It’s a simple matter of physics – a faster bike means the rider suffers a harder fall in an accident. Lob a tomato at a wall, and it bounces off. Throw it has hard as you can, and it becomes salsa.
- Alcohol impairs one’s ability to ride safely. Duh. Again, what’s true for a car is even truer for a motorcycle. Safely riding a bike requires balance and a keen attention to the road and world around you. Alcohol impairs all of these functions. In 2005, the NHTSA reported that riders killed in motorcycle accidents were 2.5 times more likely to have been legally intoxicated (with a blood alcohol concentration over .08 percent) than drivers of passenger vehicles. Of all fatal accidents involving any amount of alcohol in the motorcycle rider, 69 percent were over the legal limit.
- Other safety gear is almost as important as the helmet. While road rash likely won’t kill you, it could send you to a costly stay in the hospital. You need to ride with heavy boots, a thick, preferably leather, jacket, and long jeans or leather pants. It’s no coincidence that 70 percent of fatal accidents occur from the spring to summer, and Florida and California lead all states in fatal motorcycle accidents – the fair weather conditions encourage less clothing and more fatalities.
- Riders need training. Twenty-four percent of the motorcyclists who died in multi-vehicle wrecks in 2005 did not have a license to operate the bike. In fatal single vehicle accidents, the percentage rises to 32 percent. Many people just assume you can jump on a bike and ride it, but you need to learn the safe and effective way for rounding curves and operating the bike.
The chances of catching mad cow disease from eating an under-cooked hamburger are 1 in 40,000,000. However, wearing a helmet makes you 40 percent less likely to die in a motorcycle wreck. Riding a motorcycle is fun, and a great way to save money on fuel. However, maybe the feeling of the wind flying through your hair isn’t all that important, huh? Wear a helmet, learn to ride and follow the other tips for safe operation of a motorcycle.
