1. MOTORCYCLE SAFETY:
HELMETS
BY: PAU L L E D O U X

2. THE HURT REPORT
Professor Harry Hurt
pictured with damaged
helmets.

3. • 60% of motorcyclist not wearing
helmet
• 26% said helmets are uncomfortable
or inconvenient
• 53% said they do not expect to be
involved in accident
THE HURT REPORT

4. MOTORCYCLE HELMETS SAVE LIVES
Helmet crash zones published in The Hurt
Report
Helmet that saved a motorcyclist in Iowa

5. IT'S BETTER TO BE SAFE THAN SORRY!
Each state is encouraged to
have and enforce a mandatory
all-rider motorcycle helmet use
law.
• 19 States have Universal
Law
• 28 States have Partial Law
• 3 States of No law
Blue: Universal (All Riders Must Wear Helmet)
Gray: Partial (Certain Age Riders Must Wear
Helmet)
White: (No Helmet Law)
Photo: State by State color coded map for Helmet Laws published by The Center for Disease Control and

6. THE NEW ENGLAND STATES
• Universal Law:
Massachusetts and Vermont
• Partial Law:
Maine, Rhode Island and
Connecticut
• No Law:
New Hampshire
Photo: New England color coded map of Helmet Laws published by The Center for Disease Control and

7. THE MORE HELMETS WORN,
THE MORE WE ALL SAVE.
States with Universal Helmet Law we nearly 4 times
more cost savings than states with partial laws.
In terms of annual cost savings,
in terms of medical, productivity, and other costs:
California (Universal Law) saved the most with
$394,000,000 in 2010
New Mexico (Partial Law) saved the least with
$2,600,000 in 2010

8. WHY SHOULD I WEAR A
HELMET?!
In 1981, 26% of motorcyclists in Los Angeles reported
that they find helmets to be uncomfortable. – The Hurt Report
I DON’T WEAR A HELMET WHEN THE LAW
ALLOWS ME
TO RIDE HELMET FREE
BECAUSE THEY DON’T LOOK COOL.
– motorcyclist friend of mine
“THEY ARE TOO HOT IN THE SUMMER.
THE DAMN THING MAKES ME SWEATY!”
– same motorcyclist friend of mine

9. HOW TO PICK A HELMET
A Good Helmet should:
• Fit snugly all the way around.
• Have strong straps with two rings to fasten
them.
• Be bright in color or have reflective materials
so other motorist can see you.
• Have no defects like cracks, broken parts, or
straps.
• Been approved by DOT.

10. UTILIZING HELMET TO KEEP COOL
Comfort / fit padding as illustrated on
the graphic
The material of Polystyrene acts as
insulation
• Soak your head with cool water
before putting my helmet on.
• Then apply your helmet.
The insulation of the helmet does not
allow the coolness to escape & will
help hinder the possibility of heat
exhaustion.

11. NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC
SAFETY ADMINISTRATION
• Motorcyclists that are not wearing a helmet are 3 times more likely suffer
traumatic brain injuries
• Motorcycle helmets reduce the likelihood of a crash fatality by 37 percent.
• 42% of motorcyclists who were fatally injured were not wearing a helmet.
• Helmets saved over 1,500 riders’ lives, but about 700 more lives could have
been saved if all riders had worn helmets in 2010.

12. • Helmets can make a huge difference as a motorcyclist
• ALWAYS WEAR A HELMET THAT MEETS THE STANDARDS SET BY
THE DEPORTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
• Riding a motorcycle is dangerous
• It is your job to protect yourself
IT'S BETTER TO BE SAFE THAN SORRY!
RIDE SAFE!

13. WORK CITED
Kresnak, Bill. Motorcycling For Dummies. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley and Sons, INC, 2008. Print.
Helmets: a road safety manual for decision-makers and practitioners. Geneva, World Health Organization, 2006. Print.
Hurt, H.H., Ouellet, J.V. and Thom, D.R., Motorcycle Accident Cause Factors and Identification of Countermeasures, Volume 1: Technical Report. New York: National
Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 1981. Print. Page 429.
Motorcycle Safety Guide: Helmet Laws Save Lives and Money. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, June 13, 2012. Web. 04/22/2013.
http://www.cdc.gov/motorvehiclesafety/mc/guide/save.html
Motorcycle Safety. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, June 18, 2012. Web. 04/21/2013.
http://www.cdc.gov/Features/MotorcycleSafety/
Q&A: Motorcycles — helmets March 2013. Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Web. 04/21/2013.
http://www.iihs.org/research/qanda/helmet_use.aspx#cite-text-0-1
Val. When Life Makes You Slow Down. 2012. Web. 4/21/2013. Photo
http://cornbeanspigskids.blogspot.com/2012/08/when-life-makes-you-slow-down.html
FIGURE 2. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 2012, June 15, 2012. Web. 4/21/2013. Photo. 4/21/2013.
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm6123a1.htm#fig2
Deutermann, William. Traffic Safety Facts. NHTSA’s National Center for Statistics and Analysis. August 2005. Web. 4/21/2013. Table.
http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/Pubs/809861.pdf
Motorcycle Safety Foundation. What You Should Know About Motorcycle Helmets. 4/23/2013
http://www.msf-usa.org/downloads/helmet_CSi.pdf