There is some debate on whether
or not helmets should be mandatory for every one that rides a motorcycle, both
the driver and passenger. As of right now, there is only 3 states, Illinois,
Iowa, and New Hampshire, that have a no helmet law at all while on the other
hand there are 19 states plus the District of Columbia that have a mandatory
helmet law for all ages. There are 18 states that require riders ages 17 and
younger wear a helmet, one that requires those 18 and younger wear a helmet,
and 9 states that require those 20 years of age and younger wear a helmet. It
is awesome to see that there are only 3 states that have no helmet law and 28
that have a partial helmet law, but is that enough? Why not switch over to a
mandatory helmet law for all ages?
I
t is well known that riding
a motorcycle is naturally riskier and more dangerous than driving a car. The
federal government estimates that wearing a helmet reduces the risk of dying by
37-42 percent while unhelmeted riders are 3 times more likely to sustain traumatic
brain injuries in the event of a crash when compared to helmeted riders. There
are people that claim that helmets increase the risk of neck injury and reduce
peripheral vision and hearing but there is no credible evidence to support
these arguments. It is evident that wearing a helmet can reduce the risk of
death significantly so it only makes sense for the states without a helmet law
and the states with a partial law work on enforcing a mandatory helmet law for
all users of all ages.
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