MOTORCYCLIST FATALITIES AND THE REPEAL OF MANDATORY HELMET WEARING LAWS

Previous studies had estimated that repeal of mandatory helmet wearing laws resulted in changes in the number of fatalities ranging from nearly 40% to essentially zero. This study was performed to determine more definitively the influence on motorcyclist fatalities of these repeals. After repeal, motorcyclist fatalities increased more in the states which repealed their laws than in those which did not in 24 cases out of 26, with the average effect being 28 plus or minus 4%. It is therefore concluded that repeals of mandatory helmet wearing laws for motorcyclists were followed by substantial increases in motorcyclist fatalities. For the covering abstract of the conference see IRRD 287637. (Author/TRRL)

• Corporate Authors:

  American Association for Automotive Medicine

  40 2nd Avenue
  Arlington Heights, IL  United States  60005
• Authors:
  • Chenier, T
  • Evans, Leonard
  • Mortimer, R G
• Conference:
  • 29TH ANNUAL CONFERENCE OF THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR AUTOMOTIVE MEDICINE
  • Location: WASHINGTON D.C., United States
  • Date: 1985-10-7 to 1985-10-9
• Publication Date: 1985

Media Info

• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: p. 393-409
• Monograph Title: PROCEEDINGS OF THE TWENTY-NINTH ANNUAL CONFERENCE OF THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR AUTOMOTIVE MEDICINE, WASHINGTON DC, OCTOBER 7-9, 1985

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Conferences; Fatalities; Helmets; Laws; Motorcyclists; Repeal
• ITRD Terms: 1612: Accident rate; 9148: Before and after study; 8525: Conference; 1687: Crash helmet; 1602: Fatality; 9032: Increase; 1556: Legislation; 9048: Modification; 1752: Motorcyclist; 6555: Statistics; 8122: USA; 9084: Use
• Subject Areas: Highways; Law; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00466748
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Institute for Road Safety Research, SWOV
• Files: ITRD, TRIS
• Created Date: Mar 31 1988 12:00AM