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Helmets Save Lives, Head-To-Head Motorcycle Study Finds

Researchers compared motorcycle injury outcomes between North Carolina, which mandates helmets for all riders, and South Carolina, which only requires helmets for riders under 21, in a study spanning 2012 to 2022.
This research was motivated by the increasing number of states repealing universal helmet laws, largely influenced by motorcycle advocacy groups, resulting in a reduction from nearly all states half a century ago to only 19 states currently enforcing universal helmet requirements.
Nearly 2,200 patients treated at Carolinas Medical Center showed 94% helmet use from North Carolina versus 52% in South Carolina, with helmeted riders sustaining less severe injuries and shorter ICU stays.
Dr. Britton Christmas emphasized that the data clearly demonstrate helmets protect lives and that comprehensive helmet laws promote their use. The study found that the fatality rate among riders who did not wear helmets was 7%, while it was slightly above 4% for those who wore helmets.
The findings imply that partial helmet laws, like South Carolina’s under-21 rule, are ineffective as youth imitate adults, leading researchers to stress that universal helmet legislation normalizes use and saves lives.

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Liberia: Experts Say Helmet Regulation Has Helped Reduce Death and Injury Among Motorcyclists, but More Enforcement Needed

Monrovia -- Amos Kollie sits sadly in front of his house here on a recent sunny morning. Amos once spent his days plying the city's streets on his motorcycle. But since a serious accident in 2022 the 29-year-old has no job prospects and depends on handouts from his parents and friends.

6 days ago·South Africa

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