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Highway Safety: Motorcycle Helmet Laws Save Lives and Reduce Costs to Society: RCED-91-170

Highway Safety: Motorcycle Helmet Laws Save Lives and Reduce Costs to Society: RCED-91-170

Paperback

General Political Science

ISBN10: 1289130221
ISBN13: 9781289130220
Publisher: Bibliogov
Published: Jun 27 2013
Pages: 98
Weight: 0.42
Height: 0.20 Width: 7.44 Depth: 9.69
Language: English
Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO evaluated studies on the motorcycle helmet laws, focusing on the: (1) effectiveness of helmets in preventing fatalities and serious injuries; (2) impact of helmet laws on helmet usage and fatality rates; and (3) societal costs of helmet nonuse.
GAO found that: (1) 11 of 46 studies comparing helmeted with nonhelmeted accident victims found that helmeted riders had lower fatality rates; (2) surviving helmeted riders suffered 46 to 85 percent fewer incidences of severe, serious, and critical head injuries than nonhelmeted riders; (3) 9 studies indicated that helmet use under universal laws ranged from 92 to 100 percent, while unlegislated helmet use generally ranged from 42 to 59 percent; (4) 20 studies comparing motorcycle fatality rates under universal helmet laws found that fatality rates were 20 to 40 percent lower when universal helmet laws were in effect; (5) the decreases in fatality rates when laws were enacted were matched by comparable increases when the laws were repealed; (6) studies indicated that nonhelmeted riders were more extensive users of medical services and long-term care, and were more likely to die or lose earning capacity through disability; (7) data on the cost of medical services rendered to motorcycle accident victims were unclear, but studies showed that society pays for much of the care for accident victims through tax-supported programs or insurance premiums; and (8) studies on long-term accident costs indicated that costs could approach $100,000 for persons with serious head injuries and $300,000 for critical head injuries.

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General Political Science