Here's some data from a study by NHTSA that's very revealing. I'm reproducing the Exec summary here:
(http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/Pubs/811208.PDF) The combined data set contains information on 104,472 motorcyclists involved in crashes in these 18 States during the years 2003, 2004, and 2005. Advanced statistical methods such as multiple imputation were used to analyze the data. In the data set, 57 percent of motorcyclists were helmeted at the time of the crashes and 43 percent were non-helmeted. For both groups, about 40 percent of motorcyclists were treated at hospitals or died following the crashes. However, 6.6 percent of unhelmeted motorcyclists suffered a moderate to severe head or facial injury compared to 5.1 percent of helmeted motorcyclists. Moderate to severe injuries were defined as a Maximum Abbreviated Injury Severity (MAIS) scale of level 2 or higher Fifteen percent of hospital-treated helmeted motorcyclists suffered traumatic brain injury (TBI) compared to 21 percent of hospital-treated unhelmeted motorcyclists. TBI severity varied by helmet use. Almost 9 percent of unhelmeted and 7 percent of helmeted hospital-treated motorcyclists received minor to moderate TBI. More than 7 percent of unhelmeted and 4.7 percent of hospital-treated helmeted motorcyclists sustained severe TBI. Median charges for hospitalized motorcyclists who survived to discharge were 13 times higher for those incurring a TBI compared to those who did not sustain a TBI ($31,979 versus $2,461). Over 85 percent of hospital-treated motorcyclists without a TBI were discharged home, compared to 56 percent of motorcyclists with severe TBI. Motorcyclists admitted to the hospital with TBI were more likely to die, be discharged to rehab, or transferred to a long-term care facility. While 17 percent of all hospitaladmitted motorcyclists had TBI, they account for 54 percent of all dmitted riders who did not survive. A logistic regression analysis that accounted for clustering of motorcyclists within States indicated that helmets significantly reduced the odds of sustaining head or facial injury, TBI, and dying in the hospital. ---------------- So motorcycles riders who don't wear helmets cost the rest of us a lot. Its not a matter o free choice, rather its a matter of public health and safety. Those who object maybe should also be objecting to the Typhoid Mary laws that exist for public health. After all its your personal responsibility if you get sick. >The most expensive insurance claim related to a motorcycle accident >involves a woman who fell from the back of the cycle and was dragged >down the road because her jeans got caught on the kickstand. She >spent months in the hospital having multiple operations to reconstruct >her pelvic region, and remove all the road debris embedded in her >naughty bits. > >So, should butt shields be required for all motorcycle riders? There >has to be a point at which the government stops telling us what to do >to protect ourselves in the name of "public interest". > > > >> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Order the Adobe Coldfusion Anthology now! http://www.amazon.com/Adobe-Coldfusion-Anthology/dp/1430272155/?tag=houseoffusion Archive: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/cf-community/message.cfm/messageid:339892 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/cf-community/subscribe.cfm Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/cf-community/unsubscribe.cfm
