Injuries soar after Michigan stops requiring motorcycle helmets

[n2doc]

In the three years after Michigan repealed a mandatory motorcycle helmet law, deaths and head injuries among bikers rose sharply, according to a recent study.

Deaths at the scene of the crash more than quadrupled, while deaths in the hospital tripled for motorcyclists. Head injuries have increased overall, and more of them are severe, the researchers report in the American Journal of Surgery.

Senior author Dr. Carlos Rodriguez decided to do the study after noticing an abrupt change in the trauma unit at Spectrum Health Hospital in Grand Rapids, where he works.

The first week after the law was repealed in April 2012, he told Reuters Health, "I just could not help but notice the number of patients that had been in motorcycle crashes with no helmet on, which was enormously different in number and volume than we had experienced the weekend before."

more
http://www.foxnews.com/health/2016/01/08/injuries-soar-after-michigan-stops-requiring-motorcycle-helmets.html

[elleng]

1. What a surprise!

[hfojvt]

76. apparently it is more like - a load of excrement

http://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2015/04/21/michigan-motorcycle-fatalities-drop/26151543/

I notice the OP's article does NOT link to the study, and includes a whole lot of percentages and not a lot of numbers.

"rose sharply"

like from 120 to 130?

an 8% increase!!! The sky is falling. The sky is falling.

At least the article I found includes some numbers, even if it is from Free Republic

"In 2014, 50 motorcyclists died while wearing helmets, 48 died without helmets and it's unknown if the nine other motorcyclists who died were wearing helmets, according to the state's data.

There were also more injuries reported in 2014 for those wearing helmets (1,559) compared to those not wearing helmets (633). For 99 of those injured, helmet use is unknown."

Of course I am just a lunatic who rides a bicycle almost every day without wearing a helmet, and at night without wearing a reflective vest too. Doubtless some would like to increase the power of the police so they could harass me for my choices.

[TexasMommaWithAHat]

2. On the plus side,

there are more organ donors.


/dark humor

[GusBob]

14. My ER friends call them donorcycles. Nt

[deathrind]

55. Yep.

[Drahthaardogs]

23. Actually, per epidemiological studies

Head trauma from motorcycle accidents sans helmets wind up costing the taxpayers over a million dollars per injury on average.

[TexasMommaWithAHat]

25. Well, working in a small town hospital years ago

they were organ donors to us.

[Drahthaardogs]

39. They cost the taxpayers millions

too stupid to put their helmets on and the rest of us pay for it.

[GummyBearz]

74. The tax payers have a say in how their tax money is spent

If they vote for universal health care it would be great. If they vote that they don't mind paying millions due to non-helmet wearing motorcyclists, then so be it.

[Kaleva]

3. I wouldn't ride one even with a helmet

[Control-Z]

4. Such shocking results.

Gawd. How can people be so stupid?

[SwankyXomb]

69. It's all about the freedumb.

[GummyBearz]

75. Yea freedom is so dumb

We need an authoritarian with absolute power to micro manage every single American's life. It should all be done with a single remote control that is linked to a chip implanted in every American's brain. Problems all solved

[BarbaRosa]

5. All the years I rode a bike

I never felt comfortable without a helmet, and I'm here to say this because of a helmet.

[safeinOhio]

6. Nothing against requiring helmet for bikes, but

possibly a 100 times more lives would be saved if there was the same requirement autos. I think there were almost 1,000 deaths in auto accidents, many of them were from head injuries.

[nadinbrzezinski]

19. Actually seat belts and air bags

have had that result already

Vehicle deaths are down. way, way down



now if we could get people to stop driving while using a cell phone... becuase that has seen a slight uptick.

[safeinOhio]

47. Head injuries are the leading cause of death in

car accidents among teens.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/jimgorzelany/2012/04/02/forget-football-car-crashes-are-the-leading-cause-of-fatal-head-trauma-among-teens/

[nadinbrzezinski]

48. Yes, but we are still having much lower rates than we used to

so your cost benefit between lower vision due to helmets, and spinal injuries due to a higher load to the C-Spine versus the benefit are not there.

Now if teens stop texting while driving... for that matter, everybody else as well.

[safeinOhio]

51. Most likely because miles driven

but more people die of head trauma in car accidents than motorcycle accidents, therefore mandatory helmets for all passengers in cars would no doubt save more lives. They are now developing air bags for motorcycles.

[nadinbrzezinski]

63. I know this is a matter of belief for you

so we will not have a conversation here, but truly... helmets in cars would increase disability and deaths. I know some motorcycle riders make this point, and it is not a good one.

[tblue37]

56. May I borrow that BLM logo to add to my posts? (I'll remove it if it isn't OK.) nt

[nadinbrzezinski]

62. By all means, I borrowed it from somebody else

[tblue37]

79. Thanks! nt

[Odin2005]

50. That drop among teens is incredible.

It's actually below the rate for 20-34-year olds.

[NutmegYankee]

67. There is no need for helmets in a car. The frame is the protection.

The seat belts and air bags keep the occupant from smashing into the panels/windshield and keep them in place to avoid ejection. Helmets would restrict visibility, increasing the risk of collisions and would increase whiplash injuries severely.

The key reason for head trauma resulting in death is either not being belted in the first place or the accident was beyond the ability of the vehicle frame to protect the driver. If you smash into a tree at 70 MPH, you probably won't survive the G-forces alone.

[cwydro]

7. It makes no sense that every state (I think) has seatbelt laws,

but some allow their citizens to ride a motorcycle without a helmet.

[Logical]

8. It is crazy. Bikers feel like they look better without helmets I guess. nt

[cwydro]

9. I know, right? Years ago, I arrived at a wreck scene seconds after it happened.

The motorcyclist hadn't been wearing a helmet.

He didn't look so good.

[Logical]

10. Wow, bet that was terrible. nt

[cwydro]

12. It was. I was about 18 or 19 years old.

My friends and I did what we could before the ambulance arrived. No cell phones in those days, so we ran in a nearby store to call the ambulance.

He was very badly off. I still remember every single thing about him. Young, longish blond hair, wearing overalls, wisp of a beard and mustache. It was the mid-70s, and he was kind of left-over hippie-ish. Blood coming from his ear. A tear in the overalls on his thigh, with a bad gash under it. He was unconscious. I remember one of the wheels on his bike was still spinning.

I never found out what happened to him, but I doubt he made it.

[nadinbrzezinski]

21. From the injuries you describe

I doubt it either. Blood from ear is a really bad sign.

We used to have a very bad joke about those crashes... dark, dark, dark, And I will leave it at that

[Logical]

37. Sorry you had to go through that. nt

[cwydro]

57. It was educational.

I had a bunch of guy friends with bikes. I rode with them frequently.

I stopped after that.

One of them ended up in a bad wreck himself; he lived, but broke just about everything breakable. Except his head, thanks to the fact he WAS wearing a helmet.

[AngryAmish]

61. If they were smart they would not be on a motorcycle

Dim class of folks.

[hfojvt]

77. I agree it makes no sense

that every state has seat belt laws.

I still cannot believe that is constitutional.

or that the voters put up with it.

But one of Obama's first acts, it seems, was to extort states into passing primary seat belt laws.

Certainly not the kind of change I was hoping for.

[dhol82]

11. So, does anybody know why?

Seems like such a stupid thing. Why would they make a law removing helmets?

Can't even see this as an insurance industry thing.

It's just weird.

[Nye Bevan]

13. The reckless stupid idiots' lobby?

I'm as baffled as you are.

[LisaL]

15. Well, there is a shortage of organ donors.

Other than that I can't come up with a single good reason.

[babylonsister]

17. SC and FL (I imagine there are others) don't require helmets.

I think bikers want the option and maybe fought for that right.

[Fuddnik]

43. They did fight for the right.

Some negative points about helmets.

On a hot summer day, temperatures can reach about 125f in a helmet.
A helmet obscures peripheral vision.
A full helmet dampens sounds of another vehicle approaching from behind on the side.
Earlier helmets, back in the '70s had a tendency to skid for about 1/2 second, before grabbing the pavement and snapping the riders neck.
A helmet can create a false sense of security, where a rider feels more protected than he really is.

[FLPanhandle]

59. As a Floridian I won't ride if it's too hot for the helmet

Even modern vented helmet can get dangerously hot in the summer, so I don't ride the bike when it's too hot.

I'd rather not ride than ride without a helmet.

[EX500rider]

70. "A helmet obscures peripheral vision.A full helmet dampens sound" Myths..

Myth: helmets impair your hearing
If anything, the opposite is true. Some helmets have actually been proven to help block out distracting wind noise, which could make it easier to pick up important traffic sounds, such as sirens or passing cars. At the very least, wearing a helmet won't make it any harder to hear your surroundings.

Myth: helmets don't allow safe peripheral vision
Actually, all DOT-compliant helmets are required to provide at least 210-degree vision. This is more than enough to account for normal peripheral vision, which is only about 180 degrees. In other words, everything you normally see will still be visible when you slap on your dome.

Myth: helmets make you less careful
On the contrary, according to some studies, it's the riders wearing the most gear (helmets included) who tend to drive the safest. While this might seem counterintuitive, it only makes sense that the same cautious impulses leading some riders to dress safely would extend to their actual riding habits, too. At any rate, there is no evidence to show that helmeted riders behave more recklessly than exposed ones.

https://www.esurance.com/info/motorcycle/6-myths-about-helmets

https://tntrafficsafety.org/sites/default/files/motorcyclehelmets1.pdf

[starroute]

20. The legislature passed it and Snyder signed it - Also, freedom

Jennifer Granholm had twice vetoed a similar law.

http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/midwest/2012/04/17/243752.htm

A decades-long fight to eliminate Michigan’s helmet law roared into the victory lane on April 13 when Gov. Rick Snyder announced he signed the repeal into law.

The repeal took effect immediately, making Michigan the 31st state to give adult riders a choice over whether they want to wear protective headgear, a move welcomed by supporters who say the change was long overdue after 46 years. They say the change will draw more motorcycle riders to Michigan and increase tourism revenue.

But insurance companies and safety advocates warned it will raise other motorists’ insurance premiums and lead to more motorcycle fatalities and injuries. A Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning analysis estimated that the law’s repeal will result in 30 additional fatalities, 127 more incapacitating injuries and $129 million in additional economic costs. . . .

Vince Consiglio, president of American Bikers Aiming Toward Education of Michigan, called the law a useless holdover from bygone days. “Helmet laws have done nothing to improve safety or reduce fatalities or the cost of insurance,” Consiglio said in a statement. “I want to extend our gratitude to all the legislative officials and Governor Rick Snyder, who courageously supported freedom in the face of an onslaught of baseless and emotional arguments perpetuated by our opponents.”

[TubbersUK]

32. I wonder

how this man feels in light of this study?

Vince Consiglio, president of American Bikers Aiming Toward Education of Michigan, called the law a useless holdover from bygone days. “Helmet laws have done nothing to improve safety or reduce fatalities or the cost of insurance,” Consiglio said in a statement. “I want to extend our gratitude to all the legislative officials and Governor Rick Snyder, who courageously supported freedom in the face of an onslaught of baseless and emotional arguments perpetuated by our opponents.”

[Staph]

22. Could it have anything to do with

the state's Republican governor, state Senate and state House of Representatives?

The (helmet) law was written with input from ABATE, a motorcycle association dedicated to improving motorcycle safety and car driver awareness of motorcyclists on the roads. The new law gives Michigan the strictest requirements for riding helmet-free of any state that has modified mandatory helmet laws for adult choice (30 states). Allowing motorcyclists to ride helmet-free could also generate more than $1 billion in direct and indirect revenue, according to a recent Michigan Consultants study.

“The problem is, helmet laws have done nothing to improve safety or reduce fatalities or the cost of insurance,” said Vince Consiglio, President of ABATE of Michigan. “Motorcycle accidents are a very small percentage of accidents overall. Data from other states demonstrate that states that remove mandatory helmet laws do not see an increase in insurance premiums, and states that institute helmet laws do not see a corresponding decrease in insurance rates. It’s never happened. In addition, the leading insurance lobbyist was videotaped testifying before a senate committee last session saying that residents in Michigan will NOT see any rate increase as a result of the passage of this bill. This is yet another reason that we garnered such a large support base from the Michigan legislature.

http://www.abateofmichigan.org/Michigan'sHelmetChoiceLaw.htm

[Art_from_Ark]

28. I beileve that one of the arguments used to repeal the helmet law in Arkansas

was that cops giving chase to a motorcyclist merely for not wearing a helmet was much more likely to end in an accident.

[Pathwalker]

34. The bikers lobbied hard for it, demanding it. Snyder signed the bill,

and one of my husband's friends(who lobbied for it) died as a result of not wearing his helmet. He survived the first accident, but not the second one.

[Snobblevitch]

16. I was a teenager when my state repealed the mandatory helmet law.

I bought a motorcycle when I was 18. I also bought a nice helmet, full coverage. The thing is, it was hot on some summer days. I rode around town without a helmet, sometimes. (My parents thought I wore it all the time.) I was lucky. I sold the bike nine years later and have not owned one since. My brother has a Harley and never rides without a helmet.

[TexasProgresive]

18. I think that if one wishes to ride bare headed

then one should:
1. sign an affidavit taking full responsibility in the case of ones personal injury.
2. carry special injury insurance that would cover medical treatment and lifelong disablity.
3. it should be clear that the public (re. Federal, state, county or city) bears no responsibility for a person injured while riding without a helmet.

[dhol82]

26. I'll support that

Take responsibility for your stupidity.

Yup.

And no give backs. You make your choice, you live with what happens.

[LastLiberal in PalmSprings]

30. Also be required to sign an organ donor card

and watch a motorcycle safety film showing lots of ER footage and before and after images of helmetless motorcycle accident victims.

Then, if they want to ride bare-headed, more power to them. It's their right to choose.

FWIW, I used to ride a motorcycle; I used a helmet. I never felt I was being denied my freedom by doing so. It was just common sense.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

58. But if someone fails to purchase the extra insurance,

he will still be hauled to the emergency room, and no expense will be spared to help him survive. And the rest of us pay.

If he survives, with enough intellect intact so he can understand, then he might be given a ticket.

All of this can be solved, either by single-payer health care, or by implementing the ObamaCare Death Panels.

[cherokeeprogressive]

60. When some dufus turns in front of my bike while texting and I AM I wearing a helmet...

They should be held to the same standard. I've been riding motorcycles for almost 40 years and a completely overwhelming majority of accidents my acquaintances have been involved in have been the fault of inattentive drivers.

I have never been on the asphalt and it's only because I KNOW most motorists are on autopilot and I ride accordingly.

[meaculpa2011]

65. Agreed. I've had motorists look me right in the eye...

and then run me off the road.

Texting, speeding, reckless driving... AND... I was riding south in I-95 near Fort Lauderdale a few months ago and sensed a car coming up behind me. When I looked in my mirror I saw a young lady holding the cell phone in one hand while applying mascara (using her rear-view mirror) with the other. This was at 60mph!

She gave me the horn for going too slow (in the middle lane) and then scooted around me until she got within six inches of another car, still talking and applying makeup.

What does it take to get a reckless driving citation?

I've been riding since 1968 and have never gone out without a helmet.

[Control-Z]

24. Such shocking results.

Gawd. How can people be so stupid?

[stone space]

27. Who could have predicted that? (nt)

[TubbersUK]

29. My partner recently came off his bike and slid into a dry-stone wall

If he hadn't been wearing a helmet he'd now be dead or permanently disabled.

[CanonRay]

31. Libertarian paradise

Just ask anyone in Flint.

[gvstn]

33. 20 years ago, I could understand this debate.

But as someone upthread said, with mandatory bicycle helmets, mandatory airbags, seatbelt laws and I believe some require helmets for skateboarders and those razor scooters--it seems like a helmetless motorcycle rider shouldn't even be up for discussion.

Note: My brother has always owned a motorcycle and my mother hated it everyday of her life. So I am prejudiced against them in general. I actually think when you see a "scary" group of motorcycle riders it is a good thing because you are aware of them and can watch out for their safety and they are more disciplined than many solo drivers.

[littlewolf]

35. in other news - water is wet.

I have ridden for years … always had a helmet on - always.
saved a lot of my friends lives.

[handmade34]

36. sad

no excuses for the irresponsibility... I would be dead w/out the helmet I wore... luckily
i still can walk. time for people to realize we're all in this together

[MindPilot]

38. Hell, it's the only law bikers have to follow.

Those of us on four wheels have to stop at the red signs and lights, stay between the lines, go somewhere close to the speed limit and signal our intention to turn or change lanes. I'm surprised my side mirror hasn't already had an altercation with a brake lever.

That said I think these nanny state protect-you-from-yourself laws are bullshit. If there is such a compelling interest in people not getting hurt, we should outlaw skiing and DIY home repairs.

In the particular case of helmet laws I think there is law-enforcement-tool component because some people who ride motorcycles are kind of "unsavory" so we need a good reason to screw with all of them.

Seatbelt laws are just another reason to pull you over, and I loath the authoritarian approach to safety. I don't wear a seat belt (and I've worn them long before there were laws, before they were even standard equipment) not because the CHP puts up some corny rhyme, "Clickit or Ticket", no, I wear it because I don't want to take a trip through the windshield.

And from another perspective, do we really want to be fucking with evolution this much?

[catbyte]

40. No shit, Sherlock. I knew that would happen, just another Rick "The Dictator" Snydar clusterfuck.

[Yallow]

41. My Friend Was A Nurse In A Head Injure Unit

I went to visit him at the hospital one night. He was in a ward with 7 people that appeared to be vegetables to me, hooked up to machines. He told me they were all motorcycle accidents.

Kinda like the car I saw at the tow company auction once. The front was pushed in halfway through where the engine was. The steering wheel was sheared off by the drivers chest and there was a section of the windshield pushed out 6" where the driver's face went.

I never went over a block, or 5 mph without seat belts again.

I mean it.

I can still see that face print in the windshield in my mind after 25 years.

[Person 2713]

42. Free dumb to have scrambled brains

[Ghost in the Machine]

44. File under "DUHHHH"... n/t

[spanone]

45. the asphalt always wins....

i visit indiana & see these folks on motorcycles with short pants and no helmets.....yikes...

the law says you have to wear a helmet if you're 17 or younger...cause everyone knows

no one over 17 ever has ever experienced head trauma from a motorcycle accident.

[doc03]

46. Yea but all those bad ass Harley riders have their freedom

to die without a helmet.

[Odin2005]

49. Is anyone surprised by this? Anyone? Bueller?

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

52. Hence why Michigan willfully elects a criminal like Snyder

Dain bramage does that.

[TipTok]

53. Fuck em...

I regret any taxpayer cost and wasted doctors time though...

[Manifestor_of_Light]

54. "I don't want the gubmint tellin' me I gotta wear a seat belt!"

Yeah, and you can't violate Isaac Newton's laws of physics either:

Said one staunch Republican against government interference. Want to guess how she died?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helen_Chenoweth-Hage



You can't beat inertia.

[dumbcat]

64. Why are motorcycles even allowed?

[EX500rider]

71. Why is skydiving "allowed"? Rock climbing? Cave diving? Car racing? etc..

I guess we should all just be wrapped in bubble wrap and sit in front of the TV until we die..

[dumbcat]

72. But, people die doing those things

Just like riding motorcycles without helmets. There ought to be a law preventing that, so taxpayers don't have to pick up the medical costs.

At least that's what I keep hearing.

[EX500rider]

73. Well damn, it's such nice weather i am going for a ride!! : )

...with a helmet on of course!

(edit..woops, just looked at weather radar...never mind...lol)

[Vinca]

66. But, but . . . we need our freedoms.

[Hong Kong Cavalier]

68. I'm...shocked

[sorefeet]

78. My buddy died this summer on his bike

He went to a biker party in Red Lodge, hung around all day drinking casually. He was going to ride back to the big city with a couple of friends but had to go to the bathroom or something and said he would catch up. Short story he didn't show up for work Monday with the guys he was riding with. When he didn't show up Tuesday they called authorities. After a short search of the route he took home they found him 500 yards off the pavement. He tried to ride it out, but. I don't know about the autopsy but he could have laid out there for a couple of days before he died or he died quick. He never wore a helmet, was drinking but I don't know how much and he smoked a fatty before heading back. 58 years old. I quit riding a long time ago.