Wisconsin Motorcycle Accidents Without Helmets

Posted by rozeklawoffice on February 21, 2010 under Motorcycle Accidents | Be the First to Comment

According to the 2009 National Occupant Protection Use Survey (NOPUS), use of  motorcycle helmets in 2009 was 67%, up from 63% in 2008. In the past five years, motorcycle helmet use has been increasing from 48% in 2005 to 67% in 2009.

The 2009 survey also found that helmet use in States that require all motorcyclists to wear helmets significantly increased from 78% in 2008 to 86% in 2009. The helmet use in these States continued to be higher than in those States without universal helmet use law. Rural communities saw the highest gains in helmet use.

This is good news for Wisconsin riders. It is widely known and proven that helmet use significantly decreases the fatalities and severity of injuries in all motorcycle accidents. NHTSA estimates that helmets saved 1,829 motorcyclists’ lives in 2008, and that 823 more could have been saved if all motorcyclists had worn helmets.

Motorcycles can be dangerous if not properly driven and without the use of helmets. It has been shown that motorcycle transport is more dangerous then other modes of transport. Although motorcycles account for 3% of all registered vehicles in the United States in 2007 and only 0.4 percent of all vehicle miles traveled, they are 37 times more likely than passenger car occupants to die in a motor vehicle traffic crash and 9 times more likely to be injured.

In 2008, there were 79 Wisconsin Motorcycle Accidents, of which 23% of the drivers were wearing helmets and 77% were not.

If you are a motorcycle rider, please remember to wear your helmet. It could be the difference between your life or death.