Study Looks At Effect Of Repealing Motorcycle Helmet Requirements
On behalf of Lovett Law Firm posted in Motorcycle Accidents on Friday, May 31, 2013.
According to a recent study by the Highway Loss Data Institute, the average medical claim from a motorcycle crash increased by more than one-fifth last year in Michigan after that state ended a requirement that all motorcyclists wear helmets. That study is now being used to point out a similar trend nationwide in which loosing of helmet requirements is contributing to an increase in motorcycle fatalities.
Michigan had a universal helmet requirement for more than 40 years before it was abolished. That law was changed last year so that only riders younger than 21 are required to wear helmets. From an insurance perspective, the average payment on a motorcycle injury claim has consequently increased 34 percent. The study found that the actual increase–after making adjustments for various factors–was roughly 22 percent when compared with a group of four comparative states.
The study is reportedly the first to look at the effect of repealing helmet requirements on the severity of injuries measured in terms of medical insurance claims. Something some states have tried in order to handle the insurance consequences of repealing helmet laws is to set minimum medical insurance requirements. The problem, critics say, is that such requirements do not adequate cover expenses for those who suffer severe brain injury as a result of a motorcycle crash.
In Texas, bikers 21 and older are exempt from wearing a helmet in Texas if they’ve completed a motorcycle safety course or can show proof of having a medical insurance policy. In 2009, the state of Texas repealed a law requiring a biker to be covered with a minimum of $10,000 in health insurance for injuries incurred in a motorcycle accident in order to be eligible for an exception for the offense of operating a motorcycle without a helmet.
Source: kiiitv.com, “Study: Helmet law weakened, motorcycle injuries up,” Joan Lowy, May 30, 2013.