COMPULSORY SAFETY HELMET LEGISLATION AND MOTOR CYCLIST ACCIDENTS

On 1 December 1973 the wearing of safety helmets became compulsory for all motor cyclists in New Zealand. This report contains an analysis of fatal motor cyclist accidents for periods of one year before and after the introduction of the law. Relative risk of death factors were calculated for wearers and non-wearers of safety helmets using helmet wearing rate data. These factors were then used to caluclate an expected number of motor cyclist fatalities for 1974. The actual number of motor cyclists killed in 1974 was about 40% lower than what would have been expected had past trends continued. A similar reduction in motor cyclist deaths was experienced in 1956 when the compulsory helmet wearing law applicable at speeds in excess of 30 mph was introduced. Although the safety helmet law was perhaps the major factor in the 1974 reduction the Government's fuel conservation measures were also considered to have had some effect.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Published as pp 1-15, Traffic Research Report Nos. 809.
• Corporate Authors:

  Ministry of Transport, New Zealand

  Road Transport Division, Private Bag
  Wellington,   New Zealand 
• Authors:
  • Singh, C
  • Robson, S H
  • Toomath, J B
• Publication Date: 1975

Media Info

• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: p. 1-15

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Crash rates; Fatalities; Fuel consumption; Helmets; Laws; Motorcycles; Motorcyclists; Prevention; Safety
• Subject Areas: Energy; Highways; Law; Safety and Human Factors; Security and Emergencies;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00098550
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: No. 8 Res. Rept.
• Files: TRIS, ATRI
• Created Date: Aug 27 1975 12:00AM