Helmet Politics

HELMET POLITICS

Several months after selectively leaking the contents of their report on helmet law repeals, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has officially sent out the report. The contents of the report are not surprising, i.e. lots of charts and studies prove that helmets reduce head injuries to motorcyclists involved in accidents and the elimination of helmet laws has resulted in an increase in motorcyclist fatalities. Some of the contents, however, indicate a new approach by NHTSA to helmet laws and motorcyclists.

For instance, several studies are included that attempt to calculate a “cost to society” of motorcyclist injuries. Between the graphs and charts the report concludes that unhelmeted riders sustain more severe head injuries than helmeted riders when accidents occur and that the medical costs to treat those riders are higher.

The gist of the “cost to society” section is to show that it’s not the individual motorcyclists who pay when they choose not to wear helmets, it’s society as a whole. To support that, the study says the insurance that pays for hospital costs is really paid for by society and that lots of motorcyclists don’t pay their bills and in a kind of reasoning that would be appropriate in places where our Olympic team wouldn’t go, the report says, “Because a large percent of the victims are young, the loss to

society of their productivity is almost incalculable.”

In a strange twisting of logic, motorcyclists are blamed for being injured by car drivers. Because car drivers who injure motorcyclists are liable for damages, the NHTSA report says “motorcyclists who voluntarily choose not to wear helmets are not only risking their own well being, but the financial well being of motorists who unfortunately become involved in crashes with them.”

NHTSA doesn’t think much of voluntary helmet use. Only about half of all motorcyclists wear a helmet where they don’t have to and NHTSA figures it would be too expensive to encourage motorcyclists to wear helmets. Besides, NHTSA is in the business of making laws and the only way to stay in business is to make more laws. So naturally NHTSA recommends, at the conclusion of the report, that Congress do something to require states to readopt mandatory helmet laws.

For the record, Cycle World thinks helmets are great devices. We all wear helmets whenever we ride. Helmets offer important protection to motorcyclists and we would encourage all motorcyclists to use helmets. But laws requiring us to protect ourselves are discriminatory and cost too much in precious freedom. We don’t like helmet laws.