Motorcycle helmet laws are perceived to infringe upon individual rights even though they reduce mortality and health care costs. We describe proposed helmet legislation that protects individual rights and provides incentives for helmet use through a differential motorcycle registration fee that requires higher fees for those who wish to ride without a helmet.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
CDC, Motor Vehicle Crash Deaths in Metropolitan Areas-United States, 2009,” MMWR Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report61, no. 28 (2012): 523-528.
2.
CDC, “Helmet Use among Motorcyclists Who Died in Crashes and Economic Cost Savings Associated with State Motorcycle Helmet Laws–United States, 2008-2010,”MMWR Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report61, no. 23 (2012): 425-430.
3.
L.de Rome, R.Ivers, M.Fitzharris, N.Haworth, S.Heritier, D.Richardson, “Effectiveness of Motorcycle Protective Clothing: Riders' Health Outcomes in the Six Months Following a Crash,”Injury43, no. 12 (2012): 2035-2045.
4.
A. F.Philip, W.Fangman, J.Liao, M.Lilienthal, and K.Choi, “Helmets Prevent Motorcycle Injuries with Significant Economic Benefits,”Traffic Injury Prevention14, no. 5 (2013): 496-500; J. G. Crompton, T. A. Oyetunji, and K. M. Pollack et al., “Association between Helmets and FacialInjury after a Motorcycle Collision: An Analysis of More Than 40,000 Patients from the National Trauma Data Bank,” Archives of Surgery 147, no. 7 (2012): 674-676; H. Dao, J. Lee, and R. Kermani et al., “Cervical Spine Injuries and Helmet Laws: A Population-Based Study,” Journal of Traume and Acute Care Surgery 72, no. 3 (2012): 638-641; M. Byrnes and S. Gerberich, “Motorcycle Helmet Use and Legislation: A Systematic Review of the Literature,” Minnesota Medicine 95, no. 1 (2012): 60-65; S. Ankarath, P. V. Giannoudis, I. Barlow, M. C. Bellamy, S. J. Matthews, and R. M. Smith, “Injury Patterns Associated with Mortality Following Motorcycle Crashes,” Injury 33 (2002): 473-477.
5.
H. Y.Lee, Y. H.Chen, W. T.Chiu, J. S.Hwang, and J. D.Wang, “Quality-Adjusted Life-Years and Helmet Use among Motor-cyclists Sustaining Head Injuries,”American Journal of Public Health100, no. 1 (2010): 165-170.
6.
A. K.Abbas, A. F.Hefny, and F. M.Abu-Zidan, “Does Wearing Helmets Reduce Motorcycle-Related Death? A Global Evaluation,”Accident Analysis & Prevention49 (2012): 249-252.
7.
M. M.Jones and R.Bayer, “Paternalism and Its Discontents: Motorcycle Helmet Laws, Libertarian Values, and Public Health,”American Journal of Public Health97, no. 2 (2007): 208-217; T. Skelley, “Freedom, Safety Steer Helmet Debate: Adult Motorcyclists Make Own Choices about Life-Saving Gear,” Elbert County News, July 25, 2016.
Id.; Mandatory use of protective helmets., Section 66-7-356 NMSA 1978 New Mexico Statutes(1991).
11.
See CDC, supra note 2; L. E.Richardson, Jr., D. J.Houston, “Federalism and Safety on America's Highways,”Publius39, no. 1 (2009):117-137; J. Mayrose, “The Effects of a Mandatory Motorcycle Helmet Law on Helmet Use and Injury Patterns among Motorcyclist Fatalities,” Journal of Safety Research 39, no. 4 (2008): 429-432.
12.
L. F.Wiley, M. L.Berman, and D.Blanke, “Who's Your Nanny? Choice, Paternalism and Public Health in the Age of Personal Responsibility,”Jounal of Law, Medicine & Ethics41, no. 1 (2013): 88-91; W. E. Parmet, R. A. Goodman, and A. Farber, “Individual Rights Versus the Public's Health–100 Years after Jacobson v. Massachusetts,” New England Journal of Medicine 352, no. 7 (2005): 652-654.
D. J.Houston and L. E.Richardson, “Motorcyclist Fatality Rates and Mandatory Helmet-Use Laws,”Accident & Analysis Prevention40, no. 1 (2008): 200-208.
20.
D. J.Houston, “The Case for Universal Motorcycle Helmet Laws,”Southern Medical Journal103, no. 1 (2010): 1-2; K. J. Mertz and H. B. Weiss, “Changes in Motorcycle-Related Head Injury Deaths, Hospitalizations, and Hospital Charges Following Repeal of Pennsylvania's Mandatory Motorcycle Helmet Law,” American Journal of Public Health 98, no. 8 (2008): 1464-1467; E. L. Ho and M. J. Haydel, “Louisiana Motorcycle Fatalities Linked to Statewide Helmet Law Repeal,” Journal of the Louisiana State Medical Society 156, no. 3 (2004): 151-152, at 154-155, 157.
21.
H.Weiss, Y.Agimi, and C.Steiner, “Youth Motorcycle-Related Brain Injury by State Helmet Law Type: United States, 2005-2007,”Pediatrics126, no. 6 (2010): 1149-1155.
22.
D. J.Houston, “Are Helmet Laws Protecting Young Motorcyclists?”J of Safety Research38, no. 3 (2007): 329-336.
23.
C. V.Brown, K.Hejl, E.Bui, G.Tips, and B.Coopwood, “Risk Factors for Riding and Crashing a Motorcycle Unhelmeted,”Journal of Emergency Medicine41, no. 4 (2011): 441-446.
24.
J. C.Hundley, P. D.Kilgo, and P. R.Milleret al., “Non-helmeted Motorcyclists: A Burden to Society? A Study Using the National Trauma Data Bank,”Journal of Trauma57, no. 5 (2004): 944-949.
25.
N. E.McSwain, Jr., and A.Belles, “Motorcycle Helmets–Medical Costs and the Law,”Journal of Trauma30, no. 10 (1990): 1189-1197.
26.
B. J.Eastridge, S.Shafi, J. P.Minei, D.Culica, C.McConnel, and L.Gentilello, “Economic Impact of Motorcycle Helmets: From Impact to Discharge,”Journal of Trauma60, no. 5 (2006): 978-983.
F. J.Chaloupka, K.Straif, and M. E.Leon, “Effectiveness of Tax and Price Policies in Tobacco Control,”Tobacco Control20, no. 3 (2010): 235-238.
31.
See Jones and Bayer, supra note 7; Riding on seat of bicycle, motorcycle, moped, or ectric personal assistive mobility device; number of persons; wearing of crash helmet; conditions; rules; requirements for autocycle., Mich. Comp. Laws § 257.658 (5). Michigan Vehicle Code(2012); Equipment for motorcycle and moped riders.—, Fla. Stat. § 316.211(3)(b); Protective Headgear for Motorcycle Operators and Passengers, Texas Transportation Code § 661.003(c). Texas Transportation Code: Title 7, Subtitle G.(2001).
32.
Id. (Mich. Comp. Laws).
33.
Id.; see Fla. Stat., supra note 31.
34.
See Brown et al., supra note 23.
35.
An Act Relating to Traumatic Injuries; Requiring the Use of Motorcycle Safety Helmets; Providing Exceptions; Creating a Distinctive Motorcycle Validating Sticker Allowing Certain Operators and Passengers to Refrain From Wearing a Sarety Helmet; Creating the Fatal-Injury Diagnosis and Reporting Fund; Prescribing Penalties; Making Appropriations. Ortiz y Pino G, trans. 52nd Legislature-State of New Mexico - First Session, 2015 ed.
36.
An Act Relating to Motorcycles; Requiring the Use of Safety Helmets for All Motorcycle Operators and Passengers; Prescribing a Penalty. Ortiz y Pino G, trans. 52nd Legislature-State of New Mexico - First Session, 2015 ed.
37.
See Wiley et al., supra note 12; L.Dorfman, L.Wallack, and K.Woodruff, “More Than a Message: Framing Public Health Advocacy to Change Corporate Practices,”Health Education and Behaviour32, no. 3 (2005): 320-336; G. Matthews, S. Burris, S. L. Ledford, and E. L. Baker, “Advocacy for Leaders: Crafting Richer Stories for Public Health,” Journal of Public Health Management and Practice: JPHMP 22, no. 3 (2016): 311-315.
38.
G.Lakoff, The Political Mind: A Cognitive Scientist's Guide to Your Brain and Its Politics (New York: Viking Penguin, 2008); G. Lakoff, Don't Think of an Elephant! Know Your Values and Frame the Debate (White River Junction: Chelsea Green Publishing, 2004); J. Haidt, The Righteous Mind: Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and Religion (New York: Pantheon Books, 2012).