Wearing a Motorcycle Helmet Can Save Your Life

For some motorcyclists, wearing a helmet becomes a burden and they opt to operate their motorcycles without one. If you are a motorcyclist in Tennessee and you do not wear a motorcycle helmet, not only are you risking your life, you are also increasing your chances of getting a ticket. Tennessee is one of the 20 states that require the use of helmets for all motorcycle riders and passengers.

Motorcycle accidents tend to result in more serious injuries than other types of accidents, as there is little protection for the rider. Cars provide “an armor of protection” for drivers and passengers, while there is little between the road and the motorcycle rider. That is why motorcycle helmets are so important. These safety devices provide the best protection available from head injuries. All motorcycle helmets sold in the United States must meet federal guidelines, which set a minimum level of protection a helmet has to provide for the motorcyclists.

Even the most skeptical motorcyclists cannot ignore the statistics relating to motorcycle helmet usage. The following are statistics showing the benefit of wearing a motorcycle helmet:

• Head injury is one of the major causes of death in motorcycle accidents.

• In 2006, 4,810 motorcyclists died and about 88,000 were injured in highway crashes in the United States.

• A motorcyclist is almost 37 times more likely to die in an accident than someone riding in a passenger car, according to data examining per mile traveled in 2006.

• A motorcyclist who is not wearing a helmet is 40 percent more likely to sustain a fatal head injury and 15 percent more likely to sustain a nonfatal head injury than a motorcyclist who is wearing a helmet during a crash.

• Wearing a helmet can reduce the chances of fatality by 37 percent.

• Motorcycle helmets are 67 percent effective in preventing brain injuries.

• A study by the University of Southern California found that wearing a helmet was the single most important factor in surviving motorcycles crashes.

Helmet use laws have helped lower the amount of deaths among motorcyclists on U.S. highways. Tennessee requires that all motorcycle drivers and passengers wear helmets. The law is easy to enforce as motorcycle riders and passengers are highly visible.

If you have been injured in a motorcycle crash, you may be entitled to compensation for your injuries. Contact the Tennessee motorcycle accident attorneys at Phillip Miller & Associates at (800) 337-HURT (4878) or (615) 356-2000 for advice regarding your case. We are experienced in handling motorcycle accident cases.

Phillip Miller & Associates
631 Woodland Street
Nashville, TN 37206
Phone: (615) 356-2000
Fax: (615) 242-1739
Toll Free: (800) 337-HURT

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