Pennsylvania Universal Helmet Law Reinstatement

Pennsylvania has been negligent of motorcycle laws and restrictions and should introduce legislation that can improve our state’s roadways. The problem we are facing in Pennsylvania today is increased danger (in the form of accidental death, injury, and damage) by transportation via inappropriate vehicles, specifically motorcycles.

In fact, this problem has been called, and I quote, “our nation’s greatest highway traffic safety challenge” by the US Dept of Trans in their 2007 Action Plan Report. Also in this report, they go onto say that (once again I quote) “motorcycle fatalities have for all practical purposes offset the gain in lives saved resulting from higher seatbelt use and improved passenger vehicle safety.” Just to give you the actual numeric value that comes to about 5,000 lives. This is occurring simply because motorcyclists are much, much more vulnerable than any other motorists in the event of an accident. They are poorly protected by their vehicle.

According to the American Journal of Public Health, there has been “a 32% increase in head injury deaths and a 42% increase in head injury-related hospitalizations” in the years prior to the Universal Helmet Law repeal. This is not coincidental. According to the National Highway and Traffic Administration, “an un-helmeted motorcyclist is 40% more likely to suffer a fatal head injury and 15% more likely to suffer a nonfatal injury than a helmeted motorcyclist when involved in a crash.” They also estimated that, in 2008, 45% of killed un-helmeted motorcyclists could have been saved by helmet use. The numbers do not lie.

The current Pennsylvania Motorcycle Helmet Law should be amended to require proper head protection for all motorcyclists by requiring the usage of Certified Motorcycle Helmets and by reinstating the Universal Helmet Law.