Are motorcycle helmet laws constitutional?

Fact�The highest courts in more than 25 states have held motorcycle helmet laws to be constitutional. The Massachusetts motorcycle helmet law was affirmed by the U.S. Supreme Court.

Is wearing a helmet a federal law?

California Motorcycle Helmet Law In California, anyone who drives or rides on a motorcycle must wear a safety helmet that meets U.S. Department of Transportation and state safety standards. It must be fastened with the helmet straps and fit securely without excessive lateral or vertical movement.

When were helmets made mandatory?

4 in 1984. Later, the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) created its own mandatory standard for all bicycle helmets sold in the United States, which took effect in March 1999.

Why should helmets not be mandatory?

Mandatory helmet laws discourage cycling, raising health care costs as a more sedentary population results. Helmet laws discourage cycling by making it appear dangerous. Helmet laws are used by police for racial profiling.

What US states do not have a motorcycle helmet law?

Illinois, Iowa and New Hampshire are the only states that do not have motorcycle helmet laws.

What states have no helmet laws?

Still, only three states — Illinois, Iowa, and New Hampshire —have absolutely no helmet laws whatsoever. The majority of states have laws requiring helmet use for younger riders (and, in Colorado, younger passengers).

Are helmets compulsory for cyclists?

Do I have to wear a helmet when I cycle? There’s no law which compels cyclists of any age to wear a helmet. However, it’s obviously dangerous to cycle without one, and the Highway Code suggests all cyclists wear a safe and well-fitting helmet regardless of what the laws says.

Do helmet laws increase TBIs among young motorcycle riders?

Weiss, Agimi, and Steiner, 2010, used data from the 2005 to 2007 State Inpatient Databases of the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project and found 38 percent more TBIs among young motorcycle riders in states with a partial helmet use law for only riders under age 21 than young motorcycle riders in states with a universal law.

Do motorcycle helmet laws impinge on individual rights?

Helmet law opponents claim that helmet laws impinge on individual rights. They also claim that helmets interfere with motorcycle riders’ vision or hearing, though research shows that these effects are minimal (NHTSA, 1996). (UNC Highway Safety Research Center, 2011, p. 5-8) States continue to debate helmet use laws.

Do helmet laws reduce young rider fatalities?

Some States have helmet laws that only cover young riders. Helmet use is generally low in these States (GAO, 1991), and non-comprehensive laws do not translate into meaningful reductions in young rider fatalities rates ( [D. Houston, 2007]).

Do Universal helmet laws increase helmet use?

Studies in States that enacted universal helmet laws observed use rates of 90 percent or higher immediately after the law became effective, compared to 50 percent or lower before the law ( [Ulmer and Preusser, 2003], Section II).