The economic consequences of TBI are enormous. It is estimated that the cost of acute care and rehabilitation for new cases of TBI was $9 to $10 billion in the US. The estimates for the average cost of care over a lifetime for a person with severe TBI raged from $600,000 to $1,875,000 (2). The direct medical costs and indirect costs such as lost productivity of TBI totaled an estimated $60 billion in the United States in 2000 (19). These figures are underestimates, since it is difficult to estimate the family and societal costs of TBI as well as lost earnings, cost to services systems and the lost time and wages of family members caring for their loved ones with a TBI (2). Helmets, seat belts, airbags, and car seats have been proven to reduce TBI incidents and death (31). Brain injury is the leading cause of death in bicycle incidents. Between 70% and 80% of all fatal bicycle crashes involve brain injuries (29). If everyone wore a helmet when riding a bicycle, then one death every day could be prevented as well as one brain injury every four minutes (29).

Wearing bicycle helmet regularity is the single most effective protection against brain injury (27). Every dollar spent on a bike helmet saves society $30 in direct medical costs and other costs to society (28). In addition to riding a bicycle, the proper use of a helmet when riding a scooter could reduce brain injuries by 85% (32).motorcycle parts gladstone Proper Helmet Usage for every time you ride a bicycle, scooter or in-line skates (28):ktm for sale suffolk An astounding 80 percent of police-reported motorcycle crashes result in injury or death to involved riders. harley davidson for sale on craigslist mnMotorcycle rider fatalities have increased each year since reaching a historic low of 2,116 fatalities in 1997 to 4,008 in 2004, an increase of 89 percent (33).motorcycle sales conyers ga

Data for 2004 shows that motorcycle rider fatalities increased for every age group, with the largest number of fatalities in the 20-29 and the 40 and over age groups. About two-thirds of the fatally injured motorcycle riders were not wearing helmets in States without universal helmet laws compared to 15 percent in States with universal helmet laws. motorcycle for sale phnom penhAlcohol-related crashes killed over 1,500 motorcyclists in 2004, which is a 1 percent increase from 2003 (33).motorcycle shops in turlock ca Brain injury is the leading cause of death in motorcycle crashes. motorcycle helmet milwaukee wiA recent NHTSA study estimates that helmets saved the lives of 1,546 motorcyclists in 2005.

If all motorcyclists had worn helmets, an additional 728 lives could have been saved. Helmets are estimated to be 37% effective in preventing fatal injuries to motorcyclists. This translates to: for every 100 motorcyclists killed in crashes while not wearing a helmet, 37 of them could have been saved had all 100 worn helmets (34).Despite 40 years of definitive data that confirms increased deaths and medical costs in states that do not support universal motorcycle helmet laws, members of Tennessee’s legislature have again this year filed legislation — Senate Bill 548/House Bill 44, Helmet Exemption for Certain Motorcycle Operators — to amend the state’s law so that wearing a motorcycle helmet would be optional for riders 25 and older. Having proposed similar legislation in prior years, legislators say again this year efforts to modify Tennessee’s universal motorcycle helmet law are about personal choice and freedom. Trauma surgeons at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Middle Tennessee’s only Level 1 Trauma Center, express concern over the proposed legislation that if passed will result in increased fatalities and increased health care costs for all Tennesseans.

The proposed legislation limits the amount of required insurance coverage to $25,000 for bodily injury or death for an individual or $50,000 for two riders. “Tennessee’s universal motorcycle helmet law, enacted in 1967, has saved tens of thousands of lives and hundreds of millions of dollars,” said Richard Miller, M.D., professor of Surgery and chief of Vanderbilt’s Division of Trauma and Surgical Critical Care. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that in 2010 alone Tennessee’s motorcycle helmet law saved 46 additional lives and $94 million in economic costs. “At a time when our state and our nation are attempting to reduce health care costs, this legislation, if enacted, will result in increased deaths and substantial financial consequences not only for the accident victims but for all Tennessee taxpayers,” Miller said. The ability of motorcycle helmets to save lives and health care dollars through reduced severity of injury is without question.

On average, motorcycle helmets reduce the risk of death by 37 percent, reduce the risk of traumatic brain injury by 69 percent, and save the U.S. approximately $3 billion each year. In 2010, the U.S. could have saved an additional $1.4 billion if all motorcyclists had worn helmets. “The data is so convincing that motorcycle helmets save lives this issue should be put to rest once and for all,” Miller said. According to Oscar Guillamondegui, M.D., associate professor of Surgery and director of the Vanderbilt Multidisciplinary Traumatic Brain Injury Clinic, motorcyclists who do not wear helmets are at much greater risk for death or costly recovery and rehabilitation in long-term care facilities. These facilities can cost more than $2,500 per day. “The nature of non-helmeted motorcycle crash victims cared for at VUMC is that although an increased loss of life is difficult to ascertain, the increased cost of long-term rehabilitation is undeniable,” said Guillamondegui.