The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says bicycle helmets are the best way to reduce head injuries resulting from bicycle crashes. Although the first bicycle helmet law became effective in California in 1986, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety reports that as of January 2011, less than half of all states have standing bicycle helmet laws.
Statistics
The IIHS reports that in 2009 about 91 percent of the 630 bicyclists sustaining fatal injuries did not wear a helmet. In most cases, says the IIHS, head injuries were the leading cause of death. Wearing a bicycle helmet can reduce your risk of head injury by about 85 percent to 88 percent, according to the NHTSA.
States That Do, States That Do Not
States with bicycle helmet laws include Alabama, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, West Virginia and the District of Columbia. If your state is not on this list it does not, as of January 2011, have a bicycle helmet law.
Age of Compliance
Although the NHTSA provides information and statistics showing adults are at as great a risk of sustaining serious or fatal injuries from bicycle crashes as children, states that enact helmet laws do so mainly to protect children. For example, while no state with a bicycle helmet law includes riders older than the age of 17, the NHTSA states that in 2006, the average age of bicyclists injured in killed in bicycle crashes was 41 years of age and the average age of injury was 30 years. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety concurs by stating that in 2009, 87 percent of fatal bicycle crashes involved persons older than the age of 16 years.
Cost Vs. Cost
The Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute lists cost as an argument you may hear from those not in favor of a bicycle helmet law. The Children's Safety Network estimates the retail cost of a bicycle helmet at $10 to $70, and states with regard to children, if 85 percent of all children wear helmets, the lifetime medical cost savings will total between $197 and $256 million. The NHTSA says that for every dollar you spend on your bicycle helmet, society sees a return of $30.
Consequences
States that enact bicycle helmet laws see an increase of about 18 percent in the number of riders wearing helmets, according to the IIHS. You can expect consequences, usually in the form of a fine, for failing to comply with regulations in your state. For example, in New Jersey, a first offense could result in a warning or a fine of $25, while subsequent offenses can result in fines of up to $100. In Pennsylvania, the maximum fine is $25, which the court will dismiss if you choose to purchase a helmet.
References
- National Highway Traffic Safety Administration: Bicycle Helmet Use Laws
- Insurance Institute for Highway Safety/Highway Loss Data Institute: Current U.S. Motorcycle and Bicycle Helmet Laws
- Insurance Institute for Highway Safety/Highway Loss Data Institute: Fatality Facts 2009
- Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute: Our Response to Some Negative Views on Helmets
- State of New Jersey Department of Transportation: Biking in New Jersey
- Pennsylvania State Republican News: Pennsylvania's Bicycle Helmet Law
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