LAWS AND STATS

LAWS AND STATS

Ohio and Pennsylvania

Even though Ohio and Pennsylvania’s helmet laws are lax, numbers show riders are better off wearing them:

Ohio Motorcycle Helmet Laws

Universal law covers all riders, and states riders do not have to wear helmets.

Partial law covers younger riders, and Ohio’s rule is age 17 or younger must wear a helmet.

Ohio Bicycle Helmet Law

No bicycle helmet law.

Pennsylvania Motorcycle Helmet Laws

Universal law covers all riders, and states riders do no have to wear helmets.

Partial law covers younger riders, and Pennsylvania’s rule is age 20 or younger must wear a helmet.

Pennsylvania Bicycle Helmet Law

If age 11 or younger the rider must wear a helmet.

Biking Stats

Helmet use is estimated to reduce head injury by 85 percent.

85 percent of bicycle deaths are people age 16 and up.

770 bicyclists nationwide were killed in crashes with motor vehicles in 2006.

95 percent of those killed were not wearing helmets.

More than seven times as many deaths in 2006 were males than females.

Motorcycle Stats

Helmets are about 37 percent effective in preventing motorcycle deaths and about 67 percent effective in preventing brain injuries.

4,697 motorcyclists nationwide were killed in crashes in 2006.

91 percent of motorcyclists killed were males.

66 percent of females who died in motorcycle crashes in 2006 were passengers.

Means of transportation

(Based on sample of workers 16 and up)

Ohio

Workers = 5,307,502 Motorcycles, bikes and other means = 38,432 or 0.7 percent

Pennsylvania

Workers = 5,556,311 Motorcycles, bikes and other means = 47,041 or 0.8 percent

United States

Workers = 128,279,228 Motorcycles, bikes and other means = 1,532,219 or 1.2 percent

Sources: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (www.iihs.org) and 2000 U.S. Census