Motorcycle Helmet Law
-What Moms Need to Know
In 1997, Arkansas and Texas became the first states since 1983 to repeal laws requiring all motorcyclists to wear helmets. Changes like this fly counter to the rules of safety taught in Texas driving schools online or off. This was significant at the time because it went counter to the safety pushes of the previous decade leading to mandatory seat belts, child safety seats and helmets for children on bicycles.
The arguments against helmets were varied but there were hardly any arguments with regard to safety that got the helmet law repealed. Heat was one of the leading arguments against helmet use in the state of Texas. For those not familiar with the heat in this state, summer time can be particularly brutal and when temperatures soaring above 100 degrees, motorcycle riders can feel suffocated in the heat of their helmet.
The Voluntary
Making the helmet law voluntary is one way that state law bows to comfort; but comfort comes at a cost. The repeal of the Texas helmet law lead to a drop in helmet use from 97% to 66%, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. While it remains impressive that 66% of motorcycle riders continued to voluntarily wear their helmets. The more than 30% drop was complimented by another statistic.
The IIHS also found that Texas motorcyclist fatalities increased by 31%; where did this statistic come from and in what year? This statistic so closely matches the percentage of riders that stopped wearing helmets that the correlation is obvious to everyone. Texas drivers education classes still discuss the safety inherent to wearing a helmet when operating a motorcycle. There is plenty of evidence to support that a helmet protects a persons life and that their chances of surviving a motorcycle accident increase exponentially when wearing a helmet.
Accidents & Other Stuff
When it comes accidents and motorcycles, Texas driving schools can provide plenty of figures with regard to the variety of injuries a rider can sustain. Recently, a motorcycle rider in Texas sustained severe damage to his motorcycle, helmet, boots and broke his arm in an accident that occurred when the rider was traveling at 25 MPH.
The impact damage to the helmet left a sizeable mark and dent. The rider suffered a minor concussion, but chances are that the side of his skull would have been caved in had he hit the curb with the same impact force sans the helmet. And yet, the helmet law remains voluntary in the state of Texas.
The Rights of Mom
While teen drivers should never be encouraged to ride a motorcycle, they can obtain a learners permit at the age of 16. Helmet laws were designed to protect riders and their passengers. In Texas, it's not uncommon to see motorcycle riders out in their t-shirts, shorts and sandals because the hot weather is not conducive to heavy clothing, helmets and boots. However, helmets can reduce the risk of severe injury and death.
If a parent is going to let their teen driver ride a motorcycle or drive a motorcycle insist on the helmet and the jacket and the heavy jeans as a drivign safety mandate. Make sure that both of you understand the risks associated with motorcycle accidents and how much injury can be reduced by wearing the right gear. Remember, living and breathing in a helmet is far cooler than dying without it.