ABATE
of
www.abateofmichigan.org
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Registered
Motorcycles in
Q.)
How
many registered motorcycles are there in
A.)
According
to the Michigan Dept. of Transportation there are approximately 200,000 as of
2004.
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Mandatory
Helmet Law vs. Adult Choice States
Q.)
How
many states have repealed their mandatory helmet law?
A.)
According
to the U.S. Dept. of Transportation, there are 27 state legislatures that have
opted for adult choice for riders, usually 18 years or older, and another 3
that have no helmet law for a total of 30 states.
The most recent state to modify their mandatory helmet law was
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Insurance
Rates
Q.)
If
a state repeals its mandatory helmet will my insurance rates go up?
A.)
According
to the American Motorcyclist Association and insurance industry spokesmen,
there have been no insurance companies who have increased their rates because
that state has repealed their mandatory helmet law.
It should also be noted that there has been no insurance company that
has DECREASED their rates when their state reinstated a mandatory
helmet law.
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Head
Injuries with Adult Choice
Q.)
Is
there a 40% increase in head injuries among non-helmeted riders when a state
repeals their helmet law?
A.)
According
to the Wisconsin Dept. of Transportation it was determined that, in fatal
motorcycle accidents there, 28-29% of fatalities were from head injuries.
The percentages were the same (within ?%) whether the victims were WEARING
HELMETS OR NOT. Specifically,
in fatal motorcycle accidents where the victim WAS wearing a helmet,
29.4% of those fatalities were from head injuries.
By comparison, in fatal cycle accidents where the victim WAS NOT
wearing a helmet, 28.9% of the victims died of head injuries. The Governor
initiated a requirement to investigate all motorcycle accidents after
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Motorcycle
Fatality Rates after Modifying Mandatory Helmet Laws for Adult Choice
Q.)
Will
fatality rates (fatalities per 100 accidents) increase if we modify
A.)
Anti-repeal
advocates claim that there is a 25-40% increase in fatality rates when a state
repeals their helmet law. If that
were the case than fatality rates should be 25-40% lower in states that
maintain their law. According to
NHTSA, fatality rates over the last 25 years have been virtually the same for
freedom of choice states versus mandatory helmet law states.
Motorcycle fatalities overall have DECLINED by almost 60% since
1985. Take in to account that 30
states had opted for adult choice. This
serves to reinforce the fact that mandatory helmet laws have done nothing to
reduce accidents or produce a safer motorcycle rider.
?
Q.)
Did
A.)
This
is a classic "misrepresentation" of the facts.
After
Yes,
fatality rates for motorcyclists DID increase from 1976 through 1981 in states
that modified their mandatory helmet laws.
What the anti-choice folks never mention is the fact that fatality
rates actually rose slightly HIGHER during the same time period in states that
still maintained a mandatory helmet law when compared to "repeal"
states. There was also a
corresponding increase in fatality rates among drivers of compact vehicles and
light trucks. These increases
were due to the increased usage of economical transportation by new and
inexperienced riders and drivers during the "energy crisis".
This can be easily verified through NHTSA.
It should be noted that approximately 70-85% of all motorcycle
fatalities occurs among NEW riders (less than one year of riding experience)
and that with any significant increase in motorcycle registrations comes a
corresponding increase in fatalities.
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Repeal
and Public Burden
Q.)
Doesn't
the general public pay for injured motorcyclists if we repeal the helmet law?
A.)
Motorcyclists
are just as likely to be privately insured as any other road user.
As a matter of fact, motorcyclists are slightly LESS dependent upon
public funds to pay their hospital bills than the general public.
A
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Economic
Impact of Motorcycling on
Q.)
What
is the potential economic impact of motorcycling on tourism and the economy in
A.)
The
economic value of motorcycling in the
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Rider
Profile
A.)
The
typical motorcycle rider is 36.5 years old, married, college-educated, and
earns more than $35,000 per year ($57,000 if they are a member of the American
Motorcyclist Association and over $80,000 if you ride a Harley-Davidson).
Along with being insured to operate the vehicles they ride or drive, a
motorcyclist obviously pays taxes and they are insured, too!
There are 30 million motorcyclists nationwide.
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The
Major Cause of Death in Motorcycle Accidents
Q.)
Isn't head injury the leading cause of death in motorcycle accidents?
A.)
The
answer is simply, NO. According
to nationally recognized accident investigator and motorcycle case specialist,
the leading cause of death in motorcycle accidents is multiple blunt
trauma injuries specifically to the torso rather than the head.
To complicate the matter, a rider may have three injuries, which may
have been fatal, one to the head and two to the torso.
In many jurisdictions, accident reports require that only one injury, the
head injury, be indicated. It
should be noted that the Automobile Association of America (AAA) indeed states
that head injury is the major cause of death in motorcycle accidents (not
true). It should also be noted
that AAA refuses to insure motorcycles for many of it's members
and when they DO insure motorcycles it is at a rate that is approximately
50-60% higher than the rates from other insurance companies for comparable
coverage.