J Ark Med Soc. 2004 Jun;100(12):430-3.Author information1Department of Emergency Medicine, The Johns Hopkins Medical Institute, Baltimore, USA.AbstractMotorcycle helmet laws have a long and colorful history dating back to the original work of Britain's Dr. Hugh Cairns during World War II. In Arkansas, the state's mandatory motorcycle helmet law was repealed in 1997 and replaced by a law requiring only those under the age of 21 to wear helmets. Recent work by researchers at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences has highlighted the impact of the helmet law repeal and demonstrated an increase in nonhelmeted motorcycle crash admissions, head injury severity, ICU length of stay and financial loss at this institution. In February of 2003, House Bill 1024 was submitted to the Arkansas House Committee on Public Transportation to reinstate the mandatory motorcycle helmet law for all motorcycle riders but was killed in committee. This article is a review of motorcycle helmet laws with particular emphasis on the arguments pro and con and the history of these laws in the state of Arkansas.PMID: 15200284 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] Publication TypesHistorical ArticleMeSH TermsArkansasCraniocerebral Trauma/prevention & control*Head Protective Devices/historyHead Protective Devices/utilization*History, 20th CenturyHumansMotorcycles/historyMotorcycles/legislation & jurisprudence*MedicalHead Injuries - MedlinePlus Health Information

Even without a law, a helmet is a must-have Before you head out on the highway looking for adventure make sure it isn’t a ticket that comes your way. This guide details the helmet laws state by state to help riders follow the rules. Of course, the safest choice is to always wear a traditional (non-novelty) helmet that complies with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 218. Besides getting a ticket for not wearing a helmet in certain states, there is even more incentive—not properly protecting yourself could increase your risk of injury or even death. Just 19 states, plus the District of Columbia, have universal motorcycle helmet laws requiring usage despite the fact that studies show that helmets can help reduce your injury risk in a crash. They are about 37 percent effective in preventing deaths and about 67 percent effective in preventing brain injuries from motorcycle crashes. (See our 10 safety tips for new riders.) In states that institute laws, deaths and injuries from motorcycle accidents typically drop.

Unfortunately, the opposite also proves true when such laws are repealed. Nearly 100 percent of motorcyclists riding in states with helmet laws were wearing them. In states without the laws, helmet use was about 50 percent. Getting more riders to wear helmets is important: As more motorcyclists have taken to the road over the last few years, rider fatalities have grown even more rapidly especially compared to cars.  In 2012, over 4,900 motorcyclists died on the roads--that is 15 percent of the total highway fatalities and an increase of 33 percent from 2003-2012. Before embarking on a long-distance ride, check out our list of which states have universal laws requiring helmet use. The best move is to keep things simple and safe: Wear a quality, DOT-approved helmet even if it’s not the law in your state or wherever you are traveling. 17 and younger riders and passengers For more on motorcycles, see our buying advice and our special section covering safety, reliability, first rides and more.

Motorcycles & Scooters Ratings View and compare all Motorcycles & Scooters ratings. Build & Buy Car Buying Service Save thousands off MSRP with upfront dealer pricing information and a transparent car buying experience. Get Ratings on the go and compare while you shopSouth Med J. 2005 Apr;98(4):436-40.Author information1Department of Emergency Medicine, the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA. gbledso1@jhmi.eduAbstractOBJECTIVES: This study aimed to assess the impact of the 1997 Arkansas helmet law repeal on motorcycle registrations, crash and fatality risks, and alcohol involvement in motorcycle crashes.used motorcycle parts amarillo texasMETHODS: Annual motorcycle registration data for the years 1990 through 2001 were obtained from the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration. cheapest motorcycle parts in manila

These motorcycle registration data were complemented by the motorcycle crash data from the Arkansas State Police Highway Safety Office and motorcycle fatality data for the state of Arkansas from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System. The impact of the repeal on crash rates, helmet usage, and alcohol involvement was assessed through comparisons of data from before (1993 to 1996) and after (1998 to 2001) the repeal.RESULTS: After the repeal, an increase in motorcycle registrations correlated with a marked rise in the total number of crashes and fatalities; motorcycles for sale palawanhowever, fatalities per crash remained virtually the same. motorcycle dealerships in davenport iowaThe proportion of motorcycle fatalities that were not wearing a helmet increased from 47.0% (47/100) before the repeal to 78.2% (104/133) after the repeal (P = 0.001). kawasaki ninja tire pressure

The overall percentage of fatal motorcycle crashes involving alcohol use remained unchanged after the repeal (37.6% [29/77] to 38.5% [40/104], P = 0.91), but the percentage of fatal crashes involving drinking nonhelmeted drivers increased from 14.2% (11/77) to 33.6% (35/104) (P = 0.003). Inebriated motorcyclists killed in crashes were overwhelmingly non-helmeted (87.5%, 35/40) after the repeal, up from 37.9% (11/29) before the repeal (P < 0.001).CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that the repeal of the mandatory helmet law in Arkansas has had a significant adverse effect on road safety.motorcycle tires olympia waPMID: 15898519 DOI: 10.1097/01.SMJ.0000154309.83339.C0 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] MeSH TermsAccidents, Traffic/legislation & jurisprudence*Accidents, Traffic/mortalityAccidents, Traffic/statistics & numerical dataAlcoholic IntoxicationArkansasHead Protective Devices*HumansMotorcycles/legislation & jurisprudence*Full Text SourcesSouthern Medical AssociationOvid Technologies, Inc.