An Analysis of Motorcycle Helmet Use in Fatal Crashes

Abstract

This report examined the helmet use of motorcycle riders 21 and older involved in fatal crashes. The analysis is based on data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) over the years 1997-2006. Crashes were separated into two categories: (a) single-vehicle motorcycle crashes and (b) two-vehicle crashes involving one passenger vehicle and one motorcycle. A logistic regression model was constructed to perform a multivariate analysis that examined the relationship between a motorcycle rider’s helmet use and many other factors. For the purposes of this report, a universal helmet law is defined as a law that requires all motorcyclists age 21 and older to wear a helmet, without respect to their insurance coverage. Currently 20 States and the District of Columbia have universal motorcycle helmet laws. Factors that were found to be the most highly correlated with a motorcycle rider’s helmet use include the following: the existence of a universal helmet law in the State where the crash occurred, the motorcycle rider’s age and blood alcohol concentration at the time of the crash, the engine size of the motorcycle, and whether the crash occurred at night or during the day. The odds that a motorcycle rider in a single-vehicle crash wore a helmet were 72 percent less in States without a universal helmet law, compared to States with a universal helmet law. Similarly, the absence of a universal helmet law led to a 69-percent reduction in the odds of a rider wearing a motorcycle helmet among two-vehicle crashes. In this study’s model, the existence of a universal helmet law was the strongest predictor of a motorcycle rider’s helmet use in a fatal crash.