Issue link: http://cp.revolio.com/i/567026
24 GraceRiderMag.com September/October 2015 Mandatory Helmet Laws: Should They Be Repealed or Should More States Adopt Them? According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, 19 states and the District of Columbia have universal helmet laws requiring all motorcyclists to wear a helmet. 28 states have laws requiring only certain motorcyclists to wear helmets. Illinois, Iowa, and New Hampshire do not have any motorcycle laws. By the early 1970's, primarily because of federal funding incentives, almost all of the states had universal motorcycle helmet laws. However, between 1976 and 1980, due to heavy lobbying by motorcyclists opposed to helmet laws, 28 states either weakened those laws or repealed them altogether. So, what are the consequences of lighter or no helmet laws? As free as it feels to ride with your hair in the wind, studies show that the consequences can be quite severe. Between 1976 and 1980, when those states either weakened or repealed the universal helmet laws, motorcycle fatalities increased 55 percent while the number of registered motorcyclists only increased 15 percent. An analysis of motorcycle crash data has shown that helmets reduce the risk of death in a motorcycle crash by 29 percent and are 67 percent effective in preventing traumatic brain injury. A study conducted by the University of Southern