Motorcyclists must wear helmets

I Marina Hicks am starting a petition to have a law passed to have motorcyclists and their passengers to wear helmets. This law will help to decrease injuries and deaths in motorcycle accidents. Motorcycle accidents are a sobering fact that should be considered by anyone who rides a motorcycle, whether for work transportation or simply pleasure. Knowing how many people die in motorcycle accidents each year can help the biker keep safety in mind, and possibly save his or her own life.

Motorcycle fatalities per year: Over 4,000 people die in motorcycle accidents each year. In 2008, a record of 5,209 fatalities occurred due to motorcycle accidents. The most common motorcycle fatality: The most common cause of motorcycle fatalities in accidents is head injury. Despite the fact that helmets decrease head injuries drastically, many still occur.

Motorcycle accident fatalities compared to automobile accident fatalities: Compared to fatalities in car crashes, the motorcycle accident statistics show that motorcyclists are 37 times more likely to die in an accident each year. This is shocking considering that motorcycles only comprise 2% of all registered vehicles.

Motorcycle accident fatalities are on the rise: According to national statistics, fatalities in motorcycle accidents per year have been steadily increasing since the late 1900’s. In fact, there has not been a decrease in fatalities from 1997 through 2008 for even one year. In 2004, there were over 5.7 million registered motorcycles. For that number, there were 4,008 fatalities. In other words, for every 100,000 registered motorcycles, there were 69.33 fatalities that year.

While motorcycles were only 2% of all registered vehicles, they were involved in over 5% of highway fatalities alone, and 14% of all traffic accidents. The increasing number of fatalities is not due to the increase in motorcyclists: While motorcycle registrations are increasing, the increasing fatalities were not due to the increase in numbers. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) analyzes accidents in many ways, one of which includes noting the number of fatalities per 100 million miles traveled. This allows the actual rate of fatalities to be compared. The rate of fatalities per 100 million miles traveled has increased drastically from the late 1900’s into the 2000’s. The increase between 1997 and 2004 was 89%.

Alcohol use does play a part in motorcycle accident fatalities: While the majority of motorcycle accidents were due to automobile driver unawareness, 30% of motorcycle accident fatalities in 2003 involved blood alcohol content of over 0.08 g/dL according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) in the U.S.. While these numbers have decreased since the 1980’s, the numbers are still too high considering alcohol usage is a choice. Do not drink and drive.

Awareness can save your life: Both on and off the road, being aware of the causes of fatalities in motorcycle accidents can save your life. On the road, you may be more likely to remember that automobiles cannot necessarily see you, and keeping greater awareness can increase the likelihood that you can avoid an accident before one happens. Off the road, knowing the risks can help you prepare yourself, or your family, for possible accidents.

In 2013 I lost my my children's father in Tampa Florida due to a motorcycle accident that could have been avoided if the owner of a vehicle wasn't texting and failed to yield the right of way.

This is an important cause so please help us make a change by signing
this petition.

I thank you in advance for all your help.