Through education, enforcement, outreach, Motorcycle Crash Safety Programs are starting to work. motorcycle safety initiatives focus on comprehensive programs that prevent crashes.
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Motorcycle Helmet Use
• Head injury is a leading cause of death in motorcycle crashes.
• NHTSA estimates that motorcycle helmets reduce the likelihood of a crash fatality by 37 percent.
Deaths increased by 24 percent above what was expected from the increased registrations after repeal of the all-rider motorcycle helmet law, beginning before the law was in effect in July. Fatalities in Florida per 10,000 registered motorcycles increased 21 percent compared to 13 percent nationally for the two years before and after
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novelty helmets
novelty helmets all performed significantly worse, based on their lack of ability to ab¬sorb impact energy during a motorcycle crash. Novelty helmets, in general, had very little, if any, impact-absorbing capability. Computer simulations of head impact attenuation tests show a 100-percent probability of brain injuries and/or skull fracture for the person involved in a crash while wearing a novelty helmet.
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Certified Motorcycle Helmets versus Uncertified Novelty Helmets
When buying a helmet for on-road use, you can buy one of two kinds. The first is a certified motorcycle helmet that is certified by the manufacturer to conform to all aspects of FMVSS No. 218. In accordance with FMVSS No. 218, the symbol “DOT” has been
1 www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/pubs/810639.pdf; DOT HS 810 639, Motor Vehicle Traffic Crash Fatality Count & Estimates of People injured for 2005 (August 2006)
2 DOT HS 810 678, Traffic Safety Facts - Research Note: Motorcycle Helmet Use in 2006 - Overall results by Donna Glassbrenner, Ph.D., and Jianqiang Ye. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Washington, DC. 2006.
applied to it, constituting the manufacturer’s certification that the helmet conforms to all aspects of the standard. Or a novilty helmet
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Motorcycle riders who wear novelty helmets and be¬lieve that “something is better than nothing”
The novelty helmets tested performed significantly worse than any helmet that complies with FMVSS No. 218. In general, noncompli¬ant novelty helmets will not protect motorcycle riders during mo¬torcycle crashes from either impact or penetration threats, and will not likely be retained on motorcycle riders’ heads during crashes.
Novelty helmets present motorcycle riders with a higher risk for skull fracture and brain injury when compared to certified helmets. A motorcycle rider who wears a novelty helmet during a motorcy¬cle crash in which the rider falls to the ground and the rider’s head contacts a rigid body such as a paved road will likely sustain fatal head injuries.
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Motorcycle Safety , Highway Safety Program
communication campaign:
* Designate a lead agency for motorcycle safety;
* Develop funding sources;
* Collect and analyze data on motorcycle crashes, injuries, and fatalities;
* Identify and prioritize the State's motorcycle safety problem areas;
* Encourage collaboration among agencies and organizations responsible for, or impacted by, motorcycle safety issues;
* Develop programs (with specific projects) to address problems;
* Coordinate motorcycle safety projects with those for the general motoring public;
* Integrate motorcycle safety into State strategic highway safety plans and other related highway safety activities including impaired driving, occupant protection, speed management, and driver licensing programs; and
* Routinely evaluate motorcycle safety programs and services.
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