Are Helmet Use Laws that Apply Only to Young Motorcyclists Effective?

Weak helmet use laws that apply only to young riders are virtually impossible to enforce, and there is no evidence that these laws reduce deaths and injuries. In 2003, helmets were worn by fewer than 40 percent of fatally injured minors in states with weak helmet laws, even though the laws required them. Helmet use rates for all riders remain low in states where restricted laws are in effect, and death rates are 20 to 40 percent higher when states have weak laws or no laws, compared with rates when helmet laws apply to all riders.

In 2000, Florida weakened its helmet law to exclude riders 21 and older with at least $10,000 of medical insurance coverage. Even though riders younger than 21 still were required to wear helmets under the law change, an Institute study found that riders younger than 21 were 97 percent more likely to die in crashes after the law change than before. Helmet use among fatally injured motorcyclists younger than 21 declined from 72 percent before the law change to 55 percent after.