TEXAS:Motorcycle helmet laws need change

OFF THE WIRE
http://www.hilltopviewsonline.com/motorcycle-helmet-laws-need-change-1.1766883 Motorcycle helmet laws need change OUR VIEW By

Published: Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Updated: Tuesday, November 9, 2010 20:11

Many people have the dream of hopping on a motorcycle, revving up a too-loud-to-be-comfortable engine, and cruising down the road with the sun on your face and the wind in your hair. But many don't consider that choosing the wind in your hair over a protective helmet could be a fatal choice.

In 2009, 426 people involved in a motorcycle accident died in Texas, according to the National Highway Traffic Administration. Out of all of those people, 275 were not wearing a helmet. Furthermore, the NHSA estimated that 105 of those people could have survived if they were wearing a helmet.

Texas is one of 20 states, in addition to the District of Columbia, that does not require helmets for motorcyclists aged 21 years or older. In Texas, a majority of people who are able to ride a motorcycle simply need a motorcycle health insurance plan or a training and safety course.

Just as in other cases, like the ability to carry a concealed handgun, a safety and training course can be appropriate. However, when it comes to riding a motorcycle, how does a training and safety course prepare a person for a collision with the pavement or with another vehicle?

In 2009, The New York Times reported that a study by the University of Michigan revealed that states that implement a mandatory helmet law experience a 30 percent decrease in motorcycle fatalities. The study, "Donorcycles: Do Motorcycle Helmet Laws Reduce Organ Donations?" also found that motorcycle fatalities are the number one source for donated organs because, other than the head, the organs are usually in great condition.

In the case of helmet laws, statistics reveal just how ineffective current law is when it comes to motorcycle accident fatalities. Of the 426 people who died last year in Texas, only 20 were under the age of 21, while 282 were between the ages of 21 and 49. Although the latter figure represents more age groups, it speaks for the effectiveness of the current helmet law. Individuals who do not have to wear a helmet run a higher risk of dying in an accident.

Enacting a stricter helmet law would also help to create a generally accepted social norm. There was once a time when seat belts weren't required in cars. Now, seat belts might be a little uncomfortable for some, but for most people, and especially for younger generations, wearing one has become second nature.

It's time to forget the aesthetics of riding a motorcycle sans a helmet. Not to say that a helmet will save your life every time–nearly half of all motorcyclists in fatal accidents are wearing a helmet. But, at the end of the day, a helmet could be the only thing between life and death