OFF THE WIRE
Federal safety officials are hoping states pass more laws requiring helmets.
BY VALLERY BROWN and ROBERT MEDLEY Oklahoman
Motorcycle enthusiasts use the phrase, “It’s not if you go down, it’s when.” When John Pierce was in a hit-and-run accident in August, it was his first serious crash in 50 years of riding.
Pierce, 67, wasn’t wearing a helmet. He chose not to wear one. Oklahoma law requires only riders younger than age 18 to wear them, but federal safety officials are pushing for states to require all motorcycle riders to wear federally approved helmets.
Oklahoma’s helmet laws should be left alone, some motorcyclists say, and so should those in 29 other states that don’t require all riders to wear helmets.
This month, the National Transportation Safety Board put motorcycle safety on its “Most Wanted List of Transportation Safety.” Officials said motorcycle deaths have increased during the past decade, even as other traffic fatalities have declined. There were 4,400 motorcycle deaths in the United States last year. More than 100 of those were in Oklahoma.
Argument over laws
Capt. Chris West, Oklahoma Highway Patrol spokesman, said state troopers see firsthand how deadly motorcycle accidents can be.
“Everyone should wear a helmet,” West said.
But Pierce argues motorcycle riding is inherently risky and numbers don’t tell the whole story. While accidents and fatalities have increased in some cases, so have the number of motorcyclists on the road.
In Oklahoma, the number of registered motorcycles has increased by more than 7 percent since 2008.
“States with mandatory laws have no better or worse fatality records,” said Pierce, referring to a National Center for Statistics and Analysis 2002 report.
Colorado, a state with no helmet laws at the time, had 4.31 fatalities per 100,000 motorcycles registered in the state. Neighbor state Nebraska, which requires helmets, had 5.20 fatalities per 100,000 motorcycles registered in the state, the report shows.
“There is just no way to tell whether a state has a helmet law by looking at the numbers of fatalities,” he said.
Pierce works on behalf of two nationwide associations pushing against motorcycle helmet laws, instead calling for more motorcyclist training and education.
His crash in August happened at night when a driver in a sport utility vehicle didn’t see his motorcycle. Pierce hit the side of the vehicle, smashed his face into the windshield of his motorcycle and was left bloodied on the side of the road. He spent two days in the hospital with a broken nose and injuries to his face and knee.
“It’s a risk we assume,” Pierce said. “But you’re not invulnerable just because you have a helmet on.”
He concedes helmets do increase safety in some situations, but riders should be able to evaluate those scenarios and choose for themselves. Pierce advocates for more biker education and is involved in the planning and implementation of Gunner’s Law, which took effect on Nov. 1. Now, $3 from every motorcycle registration bought in the state will go to a fund to increase education and promote motorcycle awareness.
“The government can try to make crashing safer with helmet laws, or it can do things to try and prevent the crash in the first place,” said Pierce.
In a 1994 study, the state Health Department reported helmets were 60 to 75 percent effective in reducing head injuries.
Non-helmeted riders were more likely to suffer a fatal head injury. Non-helmeted riders were twice as likely to suffer a nonfatal head injury, the report shows.
Some who disagree with helmet laws argue a helmet is more likely to cause spinal cord injury during an accident. However, the report shows little difference in the number of spinal cord injuries on either side of the debate.
