The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) wants states to require all motorcycle riders to wear helmets.
Currently 20 states require helmets for all riders, 27 states require them only for some riders, and three states do not require them at all. Connecticut requires helmets for all riders under age 18 and for people seeking a motorcycle-endorsed driver’s license when they are operating a motorcycle on a training permit.
An NTSB statement said that motorcycle fatalities increased 150% between 1997 and 2008, an increase exceeding that of any other form of transportation. Although the number of motorcycle fatalities decreased from 5,312 in 2008 to 4,462 in 2009, motorcycle deaths still accounted for 13% of all motor vehicle fatalities. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, head injury is a leading cause of death in motorcycle accidents, and the use of a helmet that meets federal safety standards is the “single critical factor in the prevention and reduction of head injury.”
For a history of the state motorcycle helmet law, please see OLR Report 2010-R-0465.
