More than 20,000 motorcyclists who died in crashes in the US since the mid-1970s would have survived if stronger helmet laws had been in place, according to a new study from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).
If every state had required all riders to wear helmets from 1976 to 2022, a total of 22,058 motorcyclists’ lives could have been saved – 11 per cent of all rider fatalities over those years.
Currently, only 17 states and the District of Columbia have all-rider helmet laws in place. Meanwhile record numbers of motorcyclists — more than 6,000 each year — were killed in 2021 and 2022, the most recent years for which statistics are available.
The IIHS said if the remaining states came on board, the death toll could be cut by as much as 10 per cent. They added that other measures like crash prevention technology that’s better at detecting motorcycles and mandatory antilock brakes on motorcycles themselves are also needed to improve rider safety.
“Wearing a helmet is one of the biggest things riders can do to protect themselves from death and traumatic brain injury,” said Eric Teoh, IIHS director of statistical services and the author of the paper.
“We understand that requiring helmets for all riders everywhere would be unpopular with some motorcyclists, but this could save hundreds of lives each year. Those aren’t just numbers. They’re friends, parents and children.”