Motorcycle laws are not created equal across the United States. Mandatory helmet laws are not applicable in every state, and rates of motorcycle fatalities vary in every locale. However, a new report sheds a light on what can be done to improve safety across the country.
The report released by the Government Accountability Office suggests that new laws should be passed by Congress that would give regulators at the federal level more power to prevent fatalities related to motorcycle crashes. This would theoretically be accomplished through the usage of grants at the state level. At the same time, the GAO hopes that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration will conduct research efforts to figure out how states can best improve motorcycle safety.
The report drew the favor of the Governors Highway Safety Association, a group that has advocated for mandatory helmet usage and other pertinent laws. One particular passage from the report suggesting that fatalities can only be reduced via laws stipulating the wearing of a helmet likely contributed to the GHSA’s endorsement. Just 19 states require helmets, but in those states where helmet usage used to be required but has since been repealed, fatalities have reportedly gone up markedly. Motorcycle deaths in Louisiana even rose by more than 100%.
Helmet usage is a must when on a motorcycle. You might be a safe and cautious driver, but that doesn’t mean everyone else is. Do what you can to protect yourself from harm should an accident befall you.