As much as some bikers dislike being forced to wear helmets, the fact of the matter is that they save lives.

Don’t misunderstand me. I’m not suggesting for a minute that motorcyclists ought to be forced, by the threat of law, to wear a helmet. In fact, I’m all for living in a world where you make your own choices and where you are responsible for the consequences of your actions.

Let’s forget the legal question for a little while. After all, life is about more than politics. Life is about driving down the road on your beloved bike, and about enjoying your free time with friends and other loved ones.

A question of life

Helmets are the most important piece of protective gear that a motorcyclist can wear. A helmet exponentially reduces the amount of damaged caused to the head in a traffic accident. In fact, a biker who’s not wearing a helmet is three times as likely to have an injury to the brain during an accident as a motorcyclist that is wearing a helmet. Many of those brain injuries lead to death or permanent and severe disability.

Motorcycle helmet laws muddy the issue

When states pass helmet laws, it clouds the issue. The theory behind these laws is that, by passing these laws, there will be fewer brain injuries as a result of motorcycle accidents, fewer dead citizens, and fewer severe injuries that must be cared for at the expense of the public. Proponents argue that these kinds of injuries drive up the cost of hospital care and other health care. They also argue that it has a negative effect on motorcycle insurance rates.

Opponents argue that the laws impede their freedom. They argue that helmet laws unfairly single out bikers. In some cases, they even oppose these laws on constitutional grounds.

A more effective way to save lives

I’d suggest that there’s a better way.

Rather than work to have government force its will (or your will) upon motorcyclists, there are more effective ways to save lives. For example, just getting the word out about how dangerous riding without a helmet can be will save lives. Be as graphic as you need to be. In the same way that pictures of a cancerous lung can be an impediment to smoking, head injury pictures can help convince a biker to wear a helmet.

Laws don’t change hearts and minds. Truly effective, long-term change is harder to accomplish than just getting a law passed.

Photo via Jeremy Burgin