Motorcycle Helmet Laws For
50 States*
For some, the joy of riding motorcycles is feeling the
wind in your face and the roar (or the wine, or even putter) of the bike beneath you.
This desire is balanced against the physical and emotional toll
of a motorcycle accident - a statistical potential we all ride
with. The U.S. map below provides information on
motorcycle helmet laws for each state (useful if you are
planning a inter-state ride).
Left click once on the map and then move cursor across states.
If you cannot see the map you may have to click "allow blocked
content" on your browser screen to run the java app.
s
Alaska:
Helmet required for passengers of all ages, operators age 17 and
under, and operators with instructional permits.
Hawaii: Helmet required for riders age 17 and under.
District of Columbia: Helmet required.
*Laws current as of June 2006.
Click here to read the
specific wording of the
Florida motorcycle helmet law
Consequences of Not
Wearing a Helmet
(1) Physical consequences
Wearing a helmet does not guarantee that one will survive a
crash. However:
There were 76,000 motorcycle
accident injuries in the U.S. in 2005 and 4,008 fatal accidents.
In 80 percent of motorcycle accidents, the rider or passenger
suffers a personal injury.
A rider without a helmet is three times more likely to suffer a
traumatic brain injury as a motorcyclist who is wearing a
helmet.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, a proponent
of universal helmet laws, estimates that 1,387 lives were saved
in 2004 because those crash victims were wearing helmets. It
also estimates that 670 more lives could have been saved if all
riders had worn helmets. Thousands more may have been spared
brain injury or spinal injury by wearing protection.
Although the majority of cycle accidents are
caused by failure of the driver of the other vehicle, this is
small consolation to a motorcyclist who suffers an injury. The
case of Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is a
prime example - he was obeying traffic laws but crashed his bike
into a car that failed to yield the right of way when it turned
left in front of him (a very common scenario). He was not
wearing a helmet and broke his jaw, facial bones, and several
teeth, requiring seven hours of surgery. The injury nearly ended
his NFL career (and his life), and Roethlisberger now says he
will wear head protection when he rides.
(2) Legal consequences
Failure to wear a helmet can decrease your compensation if you
are injured in an accident.
Victims are not barred from recovering damages if they were not
wearing a helmet. The defense could argue that you failed to
mitigate your damage (i.e., that helmet use would have prevented
or substantially mitigated the injury). Any award may be reduced
if the jury concludes that all or part of the damages would have
been prevented by the use of a helmet.
For more information about motorcycle laws or your rights if you
have been injured in a motorcycle accident in Florida, contact
McMillen Law Firm of Orlando.
"I wear a helmet and my passengers wear a helmet. That's my
choice. However, I believe that America was built on individual
liberty, and I support the right of bikers to choose for
themselves."
Scott R. McMillen,
Florida resident, avid motorcyclist, personal injury attorney,
and lifetime member of the American Motorcycle Association.
The
McMillen Law Firm represents motorcycle accident victims
throughout Florida, including Orlando, Tampa, Jacksonville,
Ft. Lauderdale, Bradenton, Clearwater, Daytona Beach, Fort
Myers, Fort Pierce, Kissimmee, Melbourne, Miami, Naples,
Panama City, Pensacola, Sarasota, St. Augustine, St.
Petersburg, Sebring, Tallahassee, Vero Beach, and West Palm
Beach, and the counties of Bay, Brevard, Broward, Collier,
Dade, Duval, Escambia, Highlands, Hillsborough, Indian
River, Lee, Leon, Manatee, Martin, Miami, Orange, Osceola,
Palm Beach, Pinellas, Polk, St. John’s, St. Lucie, Sarasota,
Stuart, and Volusia.
