I’m a big proponent of wearing motorcycle gear, particularly when it comes to a helmet — my own Arai XD-4 turned what could’ve been a skull fracture into a mere concussion while off-roading last year. Some folks apparently still aren’t convinced of helmets’ utility, however, because people are still studying whether helmets are safer than not wearing a helmets. Spoiler alert: They are.
A new study from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety looked at the last 50 years of motorcycle crashes, and determined how many lives would have been saved by nationwide helmet mandates. The study, which looked at over 200,000 rider fatalities, determined that helmets would have saved over 22,000 lives between 1976 and 2022. From the Associated Press:
“We understand that requiring helmets for all riders everywhere would be unpopular with some motorcyclists, but this could save hundreds of lives each year,” said Eric Teoh, IIHS director of statistical services and the author of the paper. “Those aren’t just numbers. They’re friends, parents and children.”
The rate of helmet use has increased both in places with and without mandatory helmet laws, according to the institute. Yet use rates in states with mandatory helmet laws were generally two to three times as high as in states without them over the study period.
I’ve seen this effect personally when heading out of New York to visit family. Crossing the border into Connecticut means you see an immediate drop in helmet usage, across all types of bikes — Harleys, BMWs, Ducatis, none of them have a brain bucket between their skulls and the asphalt.
If you’re going to ride a motorcycle, wear a helmet. Wear good boots, good pants, a good jacket, good gloves. You’ve only got one body, and you will fall at some point — even a slow-speed drop can deal damage if things go wrong. I know, the double D-ring closure is frustrating, but it’s worth it. Keep yourself safe.
