There are Richmond motorcyclists who shun the idea of wearing helmets in the same way some car passengers disregard the use of seat belts. Some choose not to wear one to have the feeling of wind whipping by them. Some opt to not utilize a helmet because they simply find wearing one quite uncomfortable. Whatever their reason may be, a helmet is arguably the most essential piece of equipment available to motorcyclists. The fact is, it has saved and continues to save lives of Richmond motorcyclists.
Here are some statistics that regarding motorcycle safety studies have produced:
- Helmets diminish the prospect of a fatal accident by 35%, meaning for every 100 un-helmeted riders killed on the road, 35 would have survived if all had worn helmets. Percent effectiveness would be considerably higher if only deaths from head injuries were taken into account.
- In 2007, helmets saved the lives of an estimated 1,784 motorcyclists.
- An average of several studies put the hospital charges of injured non-helmeted riders at 30% higher than their helmet-wearing counterparts.
- California’s mandatory helmet law, as an example, reduced the cost of head injuries from motorcycle accidents from $36.6 million in 1991 to $15- 15.9 million in 1992.
As we can gather from these statistics, it is important to wear a helmet when you are heading out on the Richmond roads on your motorcycle. It certainly won’t hurt taking this precaution. What would hurt is if you get your head seriously damaged or lose your life just because you find helmets an inconvenience.
