IMPACT OF MOTORCYCLE HELMET USAGE IN COLORADO: A THREE YEAR STUDY EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

A primary objective was to assess injury consequences to riders on motorcycles involved in crashes. Of major concern was an evaluation of the differences in injuries between riders wearing a safety helmet and helmetless riders. A second objective concerned the impact of the helmet law repeal on change in helmet use throughout the state. Findings from the roadside helmet survey are based on observations of 16,027 riders for 1976, 24,532 riders for 1977, and 17,337 riders in 1978. Selected findings include: helmet use in Colorado prior to repeal of the helmet law approached perfect compliance with the law (99% helmet use); subsequent to the repeal, use of helmets dropped to a low of 49%. Selected injury findings include: the rates of occurrence of both fatally and critically injured riders increased substantially from the pre-repeal to both post-repeal periods; the occurrence rates of fatally and critically injured riders were considerably less for helmet users than for non-users; the rates of injury occurrence to the head, neck and face were significantly influenced by helmet use (helmet wearers had a far lower injury rate for all three body locations); the severity of injuries to the head was significantly greater for helmetless riders than for helmeted riders.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • See also report dated September 1978, PB-291906. Technical Appendix is HS-805 628.
• Corporate Authors:

  Colorado Department of Highways

  Division of Highway Safety
  Denver, CO  United States  80222

  National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Krane, S W
  • Winterfield, L A
• Publication Date: 1980-7

Media Info

• Pagination: 30 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Alternatives analysis; Before and after studies; Casualties; Compliance; Fatalities; Head; Helmets; Impact studies; Injuries; Injury severity; Law enforcement; Motorcycles; Motorcyclists; Neck; State government; Statistical analysis; Traffic crashes; Traffic regulations; Utilization
• Uncontrolled Terms: Motor vehicle accidents; Severity; Traffic laws
• Geographic Terms: Colorado
• Subject Areas: Data and Information Technology; Highways; Law; Research; Safety and Human Factors; Security and Emergencies; I84: Personal Injuries;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00328368
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: National Technical Information Service
• Report/Paper Numbers: 403-2-A Final Rpt., HS-805 627
• Contract Numbers: DOT-HS-9-02117
• Files: HSL, NTIS, TRIS, USDOT, STATEDOT
• Created Date: Apr 15 1982 12:00AM