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November 15, 2005
FLORIDA HELMET LAW REPEAL BOOSTS INJURIES, COSTS
A new NHTSA report analyzes the impact of Florida’s repeal on July 1, 2000 of its motorcycle helmet use law for riders over age 21. It finds that helmet use dropped substantially while cyclist fatalities increased by 81 percent comparing 2001-2003 to 1997-1999, compared to +48 percent nationally. Hospital admissions for head injuries increased by 82 percent; the average head injury treatment cost increased by almost $10,000, to $45,602. Similar analyses also showed significant increases for Kentucky, Louisiana and Texas, which also repealed their helmet use laws. Further, helmet use “declined markedly” among riders under age 21, who were still covered by the law, while fatalities in this age group nearly tripled in the three years after the law change.Posted by MVHAP at November 15, 2005 10:57 AM
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