As motorcycle accident attorneys, we know some people choose motorcycles over cars when they travel.  Motorcycles use less gasoline than cars, and since the average price of gas is over $3 per gallon, motorcycles are more attractive to people who want to travel without going broke.

Motorcycles, however, lack the size — and safety it provides in the evernt of an accident — that cars do.  Personal injury can be more severe or cause wrongful death in a motorcycle accident.  Motorcycles also lack safety features that cars do.  Motorcycles do not have seat belts, air bags or crumple zones, but motorcyclists have helmets to help prevent traumatic brain injury or wrongful death in motorcycle accidents.

Yet some states do not require riders to wear helmets when they ride.  The states that do want to make it a requirement are involved in a helmet debate between motorcycle riders and government officials.

You should always wear your motorcycle helmet to avoid head injuries.

Motorcycle accidents can cause personal injury like broken bones, spinal cord injuries causing paralysis or traumatic brain injuries like concussions, calling for immediate medical treatment.

People who support a mandatory helmet law argue that helmets prevent wrongful death.  For example, when California passed its helmet law in 1992, helmet use rose to 99% of riders and fatal motorcycle accidents decreased by 37%.

Many opponents to the mandatory federal law say a federal law would take away regulating something that should be left for states to decide.  They also argue that helmets do not prevent personal injury or wrongful death in motorcycle accidents, unsafe riding does.  Opponents to a federal law say more education will prevent personal injury in motorcycle accidents.

Educated riding can help prevent motorcycle accidents, but wearing a motorcycle helmet can prevent a serious brain injury that might lead to physical disability or even wrongful death.

As motorcycle accident attorneys, we believe that motorcycle riders need to be careful when they are riding.  This means obeying traffic laws and travelling at safe speeds around potentially deadly curves.  Wearing a motorcycle helmet also helps prevent serious personal injury and can keep a motorcyclist riding from one day to the next.

Check back on tomorrow for part four of our Motorcycle Accident Series — What to do at the Scene of the Crash.

Please contact us for a FREE CONSULTATION with an experienced motorcycle accident lawyer — in either English or Spanish — at (800) 655-6585 or click here to submit your case for a Free Review.